Brian Murphy: Trial Lawyer & Client Advocate

Some lawyers see injured people as case files. Brian Murphy sees people whose lives have been shattered and need a fighter in their corner. With a prosecutor’s instincts and genuine compassion for those he represents, he has built his career on one principle: prepare every case like you’re going to trial, because the insurance companies need to know you will.

That approach has produced results. Brian has personally secured tens of millions of dollars in verdicts, arbitrations, and settlements for clients catastrophically injured in construction accidents, car, motorcycle, and tractor-trailer crashes, nursing home abuse cases, and medical malpractice matters throughout the New York metropolitan area. His courtroom reputation has grown to the point where other personal injury attorneys now seek him out to serve as trial counsel on their most significant cases. Insurance companies know Brian doesn’t settle for less than his clients deserve.

The recognition from both his peers and clients tells the story. Brian is annually named to Super Lawyers for the New York Metro area and holds an AV Preeminent ranking from Martindale-Hubbell—the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. From his clients, he maintains a perfect 5.0 rating on AVVO and has received their Client Choice Award every year since 2019, a reflection of the relationships he builds with those he represents. A lifetime member of both the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, he is regularly recognized for earning some of the Top 50 settlements in New York State, including a 2020 motor vehicle settlement that ranked among the Top 50 in the entire United States.

Brian’s path to trial work began in the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, where he honed his courtroom skills prosecuting cases ranging from DWI to murder with exceptional success. That foundation in criminal trial work gave him something many civil attorneys lack: a commanding presence in front of juries and the ability to tell a compelling story under pressure. After leaving the DA’s office, Brian worked at a major New York firm before shifting his focus to representing injured people. He later served as managing attorney for a successful plaintiff’s personal injury firm before finding his home at Rappaport, Glass, Levine & Zullo, where he became an equity partner in December 2023.

Brian earned his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, where he served as Executive Articles Editor of the A.B.I. Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He lives in Babylon Village with his wife, three teenage sons, and Lucy, a Husky mix they rescued from Aruba. When he’s not in the courtroom, Brian can be found on the sidelines at his sons’ baseball and soccer games, boating and fishing on the South Shore, or skiing with his family. Brian and his wife regularly support Island Harvest Food Bank and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, believing that giving back to the community is as important as fighting for clients in court.