Mr. Murphy’s arrival follows the addition of Alison Bonelli earlier this month.
Levine Lee LLP, a prominent litigation boutique based in New York City, announces that Paul Murphy, a distinguished former federal prosecutor, has joined the firm as a partner. Mr. Murphy brings extensive experience conducting and managing all aspects of white collar federal criminal cases and other complex litigation, from investigations to trials and appeals.
From 2014 to 2019, Mr. Murphy served in the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, where he became the Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit. He worked for the previous nine years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut, where he served as Deputy Chief of the Financial and Public Corruption Unit. His work in both offices spanned securities fraud, tax evasion, wire fraud, market manipulation schemes, investment adviser fraud, commodities fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, international bank fraud schemes, and money laundering. Mr. Murphy joined the Department of Justice days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, working on international terrorism investigations. Most recently, he practiced as a partner at a boutique in New York. Mr. Murphy began his career as a law clerk for the Honorable Joseph M. McLaughlin in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and then was an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP.
“I’ve known Paul for almost two decades, and I had enormous respect for his skills and integrity as a prosecutor—he was tough but always fair, with a well-earned reputation for exercising impeccable judgment. Having now had the pleasure of working with Paul on the defense side, he brings a rare combination of expertise, experience, and credibility that perfectly aligns with our firm, and will greatly benefit our clients,” said Seth L. Levine, co-founder of Levine Lee.
Levine Lee co-founder Kenneth E. Lee added, “Our firm’s focus is to assist clients with a wide range of the most challenging civil, regulatory, and white collar issues. Paul’s deep experience in successfully handling complex litigation issues makes him a natural addition.”
“As a prosecutor and a defense attorney, I’ve witnessed firsthand the creativity and credibility that Levine Lee brings to their cases,” said Mr. Murphy. “Their approach and success have earned them a well-deserved reputation as the go-to firm for the hardest white collar and complex civil cases. I’m thrilled to join this stellar group of lawyers.”
Levine Lee also recently brought on Alison Bonelli. Ms. Bonelli joined in February as counsel from Milbank LLP, where she represented clients in federal and state court litigation in complex commercial disputes, as well as white collar matters and regulatory investigations. Levine Lee co-founder, Scott B. Klugman commented, “Alison is an extraordinarily skilled lawyer with the highest professional and ethical standards, who has already made significant contributions in her time at the firm.”
The firm is coming off a high-profile, significant white collar defense win in connection with its representation of Gavin Black, a former Deutsche Bank derivatives trader charged in connection with the federal government’s sprawling investigation into alleged manipulation of LIBOR. In a major ruling in January, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit accepted Levine Lee’s arguments and rejected the government’s theory of LIBOR manipulation as inconsistent with the LIBOR rules, completely vindicating Mr. Black and ordering the entry of a judgment of acquittal.
Levine Lee is currently involved in a number of other high-profile matters. Among others, these include the upcoming federal criminal trial of a former managing director of Platinum Partners; representation of a Special Litigation Committee of the Board of Xerox; and the defense of iAnthus in parallel private and class action securities litigations.