Stephen James Murphy

With more than 30 years of trial experience under his belt, Stephen J. Murphy has developed a reputation as one of New York's most fearless plaintiff-side personal injury attorneys. A managing partner at the premier New York firm Block O’Toole & Murphy, he has dedicated himself to the pursuit of justice for his clients, representing individuals and families devastated by catastrophic construction, motor vehicle, and premises liability accidents. He has obtained more than $500,000,000 for his clients, regularly returning verdicts and settlements in excess of a million dollars.

Some of his most notable accomplishments include:

• In 2016, Mr. Murphy was the lead trial lawyer on the second ($9,975,000), third ($7,400,000) and fifth ($5,500,000) largest settlements in the entire state of New York, according to the New York Law Journal and the Jury Verdict Reporter. That year, he reported more million-dollar results than any other attorney in New York State.

• In 2015 , Mr. Murphy was the lead lawyer on three different cases which were recognized by the New York Law Journal in their Top 25 Settlements that year. These results included the #5 settlement ($7,525,000), the #13 settlement ($4,600,000), and the #25 settlement ($3,200,000). Mr. Murphy was the only attorney in New York who appeared in the Top 25 results on three separate cases.

• In 2014, Mr. Murphy and Partner David L. Scher recovered $8,800,000 for a female pedestrian who sustained neurologic and orthopedic injuries in a collision. This landmark result was hailed by the New York Law Journal as the 10th highest settlement in the country that year.

His other significant results include:

• A record-setting $32,756,156 jury verdict in Suffolk County on behalf of a 60-year-old man in a traumatic brain injury case. The verdict is the largest negligence verdict in Long Island.

• A $15,500,000 settlement for an injured client who suffered a traumatic brain injury.

• A $9,950,000 settlement for a Buffalo social worker who was struck by a van in a parking lot and had to get her left leg amputated

• A $7,525,000 settlement in a Suffolk County wrongful death case for a family after a devastating collision which tragically killed a young mother and child, and left another child with neurologic issues

• A $7,400,000 settlement for a union sheet metal worker who suffered a back injury after he fell while working on a construction site

• A $7,200,000 settlement in a wrongful death case for the family of a 25-year-old Brooklyn husband and father who was tragically killed in an elevator accident

After graduating from St. John’s University School of Law, Mr. Murphy spent the first decade of his career as a homicide prosecutor in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, where he honed his skills in the courtroom by prosecuting violent crimes. In 2005, he made the switch to civil practice, joining what was then known as Block & O’Toole to handle some of the toughest personal injury trials.

Mr. Murphy has been recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers®, The National Trial Lawyer, the Irish Legal 100, and many more for his trial work. In 2023, Forbes Magazine named him one of New York’s top 15 Best Personal Injury Lawyers, and in 2022, he was awarded the New York City Lawyer of the Year award for Plaintiff Personal Injury by Best Lawyers®.

Mr. Murphy’s extensive courtroom experience and record or results have made him a trusted authority in the legal field; attorneys throughout New York frequently consult with Mr. Murphy on their most serious cases. He regularly shares his legal expertise with fellow attorneys, law students, and other industry professionals by lecturing at events and authoring articles for the New York Law Journal and Best Lawyers® Magazine. He also served as an adjunct professor of law at St. John’s University School of Law for eight years, teaching students the art of trial advocacy.

Outside of the legal field, Mr. Murphy takes pride in his charity work. He is the chair of the firm’s fundraising committee for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, for which Block O’Toole & Murphy hosts an annual New York City Wine Tasting event. In the event’s 20-year history, the firm has raised over $10,000,000 for St. Jude, and in 2019, St. Jude named Mr. Murphy the Event Chairperson of the year in recognition of his efforts.