Michael Murphy, a founding partner of the firm, is a registered lobbyist and attorney.

Formerly the Prosecutor of Morris County and a candidate for Governor of New Jersey, Michael Murphy has been involved in politics since the first gubernatorial campaign of his stepfather, two-term NJ Governor and Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard J. Hughes. An early and active supporter of President Barack Obama's Democratic primary bid, New Jersey Monthly has listed him in their "Power Issue" and he has repeatedly been named on Politicker's annual Power List as one of New Jersey's "100 most politically influential personalities." In 2007, he served as Treasurer of the successful reelection campaign of his brother, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes. In 2005, then-Governor Codey appointed Mr. Murphy to the Garden State Preservation Trust, which he chaired until 2007.

During his run for Governor in the 1997 Democratic primary, Mr. Murphy's candidacy defined and addressed issues of importance to voters throughout the state. He succeeded in winning 5 counties and placing second in 12. Voters responded to both his vision and his proven record of results as a committed community leader. Mr. Murphy's ability to communicate and articulate his analysis of issues was also demonstrated during the televised debates. As a result, he has been called upon to appear as a guest commentator on CNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews and on MSNBC, My9, FOX, My9, truTV, NJN, News12 NJ, and other cable and radio outlets.

As Morris County's top law enforcement official, Mr. Murphy quickly established a reputation as a tough, honest, and effective leader. In 1992, he successfully prosecuted Arthur and Irene Seale for the nationally publicized kidnapping and murder of Exxon executive Sidney Reso. In 1994, he fought to secure the conviction of Mohammed Abequa, a Morris County resident who murdered his wife, kidnapped his children, and fled to his native Jordan to escape justice. Working closely with the Department of State and the Jordanian government, Mr. Murphy traveled to Jordan to assist in Abequa's trial and subsequent conviction. He also began the Morris County Bias Crimes Unit and structured the county's first Human Relations Commission. For his leadership on these issues, he received a "Good Guy Award" from the Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey and the prestigious national Hannah G. Solomon award from the National Council of Jewish Women in recognition of his "outstanding faith and humanity in the community." In addition, he served as President of the New Jersey Prosecutors Association and chaired the association's Legislative Committee. He has testified before numerous state and federal legislative committees on a broad variety of issues.

Mr. Murphy holds a bachelor's from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctorate from Seton Hall Law School. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. After law school, Mr. Murphy served as a public defender, municipal attorney, municipal prosecutor, county prosecutor, and in private practice, specializing in such areas as land use planning, products liability, and civil and corporate litigation. He is admitted to practice law in the State of New Jersey (1975), the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (1975), the U.S. Court of Military Appeals (1982), and the U.S. Supreme Court (1983). Mr. Murphy is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and remains a proud member of the National District Attorneys Association and Mercer County Bar Association. In addition, he is a Past Chairman of the Public Policy Center of New Jersey and serves as the President of the Richard J. Hughes Foundation.