Michael Murphy

Mr. Murphy is an associate in the Intellectual Property Practice Group, Life Sciences Team, and Appellate Practice Team. He is located in the firm's Del Mar office.

Areas of Practice

Mr. Murphy's primary practice focuses on intellectual property matters including patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret litigation. Mr. Murphy joined the firm after serving for one year as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Rudi M. Brewster in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. During Mr. Murphy's clerkship, the Court's docket was heavily weighted toward patent cases. As a result, Mr. Murphy observed numerous intellectual property matters, including bench and jury patent trials, numerous motions regarding patent issues, and a multitude of Markman hearings. The technologies at issue included, among other things, software related to digital and audio compression, cellular telephone tuning and reception, water purification, and immunoassays.

Prior to clerking for Judge Brewster, Mr. Murphy worked in the patent litigation department of a national law firm where he worked on matters before the International Trade Commission, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and United States District Courts. These matters covered a wide range of technologies including pharmaceutical drug delivery systems, electrical cells, liquid crystal displays, and mechanical valves. Mr. Murphy holds a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California at Berkeley.

Upon completion of his undergraduate studies Mr. Murphy worked in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

Education

• J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 2004, cum laude
• A.B., Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 1996

Clerkships

• Judicial clerk to the Honorable Rudi M. Brewster in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California

Admissions

• California

Memberships

• Member, Intellectual Property and Appellate Practice sections of the San Diego County Bar Association
• Member, San Diego Intellectual Property Law Association

Articles

• Limiting Liability in Clinical Trials: Non-Lawyers, Lawyers Beware, San Diego Daily Transcript, March 26, 2009