Paul J. Murphy
Partner
Paul Murphy has built a leading practice representing nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations, navigating them through the complex maze of state and federal laws governing their activities.
He has a passion for empowering nonprofits to deepen the impact of their work and proudly represents clients whose progressive mission aligns with his own core values.
His clients include private foundations and public charities, social welfare organizations and political organizations and PACs.
He has advised clients with respect to nonprofit formation and corporate governance, state and federal tax exemption, relationships within “families” of tax-exempt organizations, government ethics rules, and laws regulating lobbying and electoral participation by individuals and organizations.
Paul has represented clients in contract negotiations, commercial disputes, and matters before the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission.
Before joining the firm in 2000, Paul advised unions and union members on their rights and obligations under federal and state labor and employment laws and represented individuals facing adverse employment actions.
During law school, he worked in the legal departments of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Gore 2000; and Clinton/Gore ’96. He also served as a legal intern for the minority staff of the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee’s 1997 “Special Investigation of Illegal or Improper Activities in Connection with 1996 Federal Election Campaigns.”
Before beginning his legal career, Paul worked for five years as a commercial insurance underwriter.
Paul served on the Board of Directors of Whitman-Walker Health, from 2003 to 2011, where he held various leadership positions. In 2006, the Whitman-Walker Legal Services Department presented him with the Distinguished Volunteer Award for his pro bono representation of persons living with HIV/AIDS over many years, apart from his board service.