PROFILE
Paul Murtagh is a business litigator whose practice focuses on a wide range of complex commercial litigation matters including defendant class actions, competitive business litigation, unfair competition, government litigation, entertainment, insurance coverage disputes, and other business contract and tort claims.
He has represented publicly traded companies and emerging businesses in the advertising, entertainment, energy, real estate, and technology industries. He also has been a “lawyer’s lawyer,” defending other attorneys in court proceedings.
Before beginning private practice, Mr. Murtagh served in the Supreme Court of California in the chambers of Justice Joyce L. Kennard, where he drafted conference memoranda assessing Petitions for Review, and participated in drafting and researching Justice Kennard’s published opinions.
Mr. Murtagh has been voted by his peers as one of Southern California’s Super Lawyers every year from 2007 through 2022.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Represented advertising directory in a suit for tortious interference with the client’s customer base. Obtained a $4.25 million jury verdict entered against client’s leading competitor in Southern California. Later obtained an attorney fee award of over $1.2 million. Judgment was affirmed in almost every respect by the Court of Appeal.
- Represented Fortune 500 company in action filed by county water district against current and former owners and operators of industrial sites that allegedly contributed to groundwater contamination for damages under the Carpenter–Presley–Tanner Hazardous Substance Account Act and the county water district act, among other claims.
- Represented insurance company sued for $20 million. Obtained dismissal for a waiver of costs after motion for summary judgment filed.
- Represented software company in a post-acquisition claim for accounting misrepresentation. Obtained successful settlement on second day of arbitration before the president of Defendant was to testify.
- Represented producer of television commercials in a contractual dispute with a director, who was represented by a high-profile entertainment litigator. Obtained a substantial arbitration award, which included an award of attorney fees.
EDUCATION
- J.D., Suffolk University School of Law / University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1995
- B.A., University of California at Berkeley, 1991
ADMISSIONS
- State Bar of California
- United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- United States District Court, Central District of California
- United States District Court, Northern District of California
- United States District Court, Southern District of California
- United States District Court, Eastern District of California
MEMBERSHIPS
- American Bar Association
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- Volunteer Mediator, Los Angeles County Superior Courts
COMMUNITY
- Big Brother in Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles.
- Volunteer Supervisor for TreePeople, an environmental nonprofit organization in Los Angeles.