Carla N. Murphy

Carla Murphy practices in the area of employment law and litigation. Ms. Murphy provides advice to employers in various industries concerning hiring, wage-and-hour issues, disciplinary action, due diligence reviews, family and medical leave laws, disability accommodation laws, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, termination, competition, privacy and other business-related torts.

She also provides management training and offers litigation avoidance advice to employers, encouraging the development of employment policies and agreements, which includes employee handbooks, arbitration agreements, non-competition and trade secret agreements, employment contracts, and separation and severance agreements.

Ms. Murphy has successfully defended numerous clients in business and employment-related suits before state and federal courts and before administrative agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Her litigation experience also includes work on a variety of commercial, construction and admiralty cases.

As reflected in her more than 1,000-page publication, Maryland Employment Law Forms and Practice Manual, Ms. Murphy offers an especially practical focus as she counsels clients on the wide range of day-to-day legal issues relating to the employee/employer relationship.

She also applies her experience from presiding over disciplinary and post-termination cases as a part-time Hearing Officer for the Baltimore City Civil Service Commission to effectively represent her clients in alternative dispute resolution and litigation matters.

Representative Matters:

• Obtained dismissal of claims against hospital in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland for sex discrimination, harassment, tortious interference, breach of contract, defamation and civil conspiracy.
• Represented large fuel supplier facing retaliation claims in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and obtained summary dismissal of case.
• Mediation and settlement that health care client found favorable concerning unfair business competition and tortious interference claims.
• Defeated request for temporary restraining order to enforce non-solicitation agreement in the Baltimore City Circuit Court against national staffing company.
• Settled in a manner the client found favorable race discrimination and retaliation claims with EEOC and current employee on behalf of large fuel supplier.
• Counsel to national publishing company concerning wage and hour issues and reclassification strategies.

Education:

• University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2000
• Lafayette College, B.A., summa cum laude, 1997

Admissions:

• Court of Appeals of Maryland
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
• Supreme Court of the United States
• Maryland

Professional Activities:

• Duane Morris Women’s Impact Network for Success
• Downtown Partnership Board of Directors
• Federal Bar Association, Maryland Chapter
• Maryland State Bar Association, Section on Labor & Employment
• Women’s Bar Association