James E. Murphy
Partner - Trial Lawyer
Education
- (2000-2003) Juris Doctor, William S. Boyd School of Law; University of Nevada Las Vegas
- (1997-2000) Master of Arts, United States History, University of Nevada Las Vegas
- (1993-1997) Bachelor of Arts, History of Art, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Certifications & Achievements
- Appointed Attorney Arbitrator, Court Annexed Mandatory Arbitration Program. Selected by the Nevada Supreme Court to serve as a Court Appointed Attorney Arbitrator for cases heard in the Court Annexed Arbitration Program governed by the Nevada Rules of Arbitration. Appointed as Arbitrator in more than 200 separate cases.
- Member State Bar of Nevada, Committee on Character and Fitness. The Committee on Character and Fitness is a subcommittee of the Board of Bar Examiners as per Nevada Supreme Court Rule 49(3), making recommendations to the Nevada Supreme Court, pursuant to requirements of Nevada Supreme Court Rule 51.
- Member State Bar of Nevada, LVA Fee Dispute Committee. Settling attorney client fee disputes either through mediation or arbitration.
- Certificate Holder, 40 Hour Basic Mediation Essentials, Saltman Center for Dispute Resolution, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas.
- Children’s Attorney Project, Volunteer CAP attorney, 2013.
Reported Cases
- George L. Brown Ins. Agency, Inc. v. Star Ins. Co., 237 P.3d 92 (Nev. 2010)
- Farmers Ins. Exch. v. Lawless, 680 F. Supp. 2d 1238 (D. Nev. 2010);
- Schuck v. Signature Flight Support of Nev., Inc., 245 P.3d 542 (Nev. 2010)
- Mid-Century Ins. Co. v. Wells, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 28156 (D. Nev. Mar. 5, 2014)
- Certificate Holder, 40 Hour Basic Mediation Essentials, Saltman Center for Dispute Resolution, William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court State of Nevada, 2003;
- United States Federal District Court, District of Nevada, 2003;
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2009;
- Supreme Court of the United States of America, 2010.
- United States Federal District Court, District of Colorado, 2025.
- Supreme Court State of Colorado, 2026.
Podcasts
About James E. Murphy
James E. Murphy, Esq. (Jim) joined Claggett & Sykes Law Firm as a partner in 2023. Jim is an experienced personal injury attorney who spent 20 years working as an insurance defense attorney. During his career, he has worked with practically every insurance company and numerous self-insured Fortune 500 Corporations.
Before joining Claggett & Sykes Law Firm, Jim was a partner with several prominent defense firms, where he handled hundreds of serious injury cases and served as lead counsel in several jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations. These past cases include product liability actions arising from dangerous and defective products such as heavy equipment, automotive component parts, jet skis, tires, electrical equipment, industrial machinery, and various consumer products. Jim has handled catastrophic trucking and transportation accidents involving tractor-trailers and interstate and local busing. He has also served as counsel in insurance coverage actions, insurance bad faith claims, Nevada Unfair Claims Practices Act cases, and UM/UIM breach of contract.
Drawing on that extensive defense background, Jim now focuses his practice exclusively on representing plaintiffs in complex and catastrophic injury cases. His current work includes major aviation disasters, trucking and commercial transportation accidents, and other high-stakes cases involving life-altering injuries and wrongful death. This unique perspective from both sides allows Jim to anticipate defense tactics and build more effective strategies for his clients.. He is dedicated to fighting for the rights of his clients and helping them to secure the justice they deserve.
Jim is admitted to practice before the Nevada Supreme Court, United States Federal District Court, District of Nevada, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United States Supreme Court, and the United States District Court, District of Colorado, and the Colorado Supreme Court.
Jim is a graduate of the University of Illinois and attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he received his master’s degree. He then attended the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, where he received his Juris Doctorate. During his time in law school, he was actively involved in the Student Bar Association and interned with a prominent civil litigation law firm, where he was eventually hired after passing the bar in 2003.
When he is not at work, Jim spends time with his wife and three kids and enjoys traveling and skeet shooting.