Lynn H. Murray

Lynn Murray's practice encompasses a wide variety of commercial litigation, with a special emphasis on intellectual property and insurance litigation for clients such as Snap-on Tools, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, Republic Technologies, CNA Insurance Company and General Growth Properties.

Ms. Murray has actively pursued trial work since her early days with the firm, resulting in numerous commercial trials on varied subjects.  Highlights from the last few years include:

• Acting as lead trial counsel in a three-month bench trial in California state court, resulting in a favorable 121-page opinion.
• Obtaining a defamation jury verdict identified as a top 100 jury verdict by the National Law Journal.
• Representing Snap-on Tools as its lead intellectual property trial counsel in multiple court proceedings and arbitrations.
• Trying an environmental insurance coverage case in Portland, Oregon, resulting in a favorable $3 million decision.

In addition to her work as a trial lawyer, Ms. Murray has negotiated unique resolutions of high-stakes cases, including adoption of the first “hybrid pass through” asbestos bankruptcy plan and global settlements of multi-dealer litigation. She has developed new distributor contracts and counseled clients on issues relating to employee mobility, discrimination, licensing and contractual modifications.  She has handled appeals in the Fourth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Federal Circuit appellate courts.

Ms. Murray is Grippo & Elden’s former Managing Principal and currently is a member of the firm's Executive Committee.  She has been profiled in the Chicago Lawyer (“Women Rise to Top Leadership at Three Chicago Firms”).  She has been voted a “Business Litigation Super Lawyer” and as one of the “Top Women Attorneys in Illinois” by Chicago Magazine and the Leading Lawyers Network.  She is an Editor of the upcoming “ABA Manual For Complex Insurance Coverage Litigation."  Ms. Murray serves on the Board of Visitors for the University of Illinois College of Law and sits on the President’s Council for the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

Representative cases include:

Plant Insulation Company v. Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., et al., No. CGC 06 448618 (Superior Ct., Cal. 2006) (insurance coverage) (2008 and 2009 trials)

Hunter v. Snap on, Arbitration of Patent No. 7,320,248 (WeightMiser) (patent) (2009 arbitration)

Snap-on Business Solutions, Inc. v. Hyundai Motor American, et al., No. 5:07‑CV‑1961 (N.D. Ohio) (contractual indemnity dispute)

Republic Tobacco, L.P. v. North Atlantic Trading Company, Inc., 2007-1 Trade Cases ¶¶ 75, 745 (N.D. Ill. 2007) (trade dress/unfair competition)

Orion IP LLC v. Snap-on Inc. et al., 6:07-cv-00296-LED (E.D. Tex. 2007) (patent)

Strategic Outsourcing, Inc. v. Continental Casualty Company, 414 F. Supp. 2d 545 (W.D. N.C. 2006) 274 Fed. Appx. 228 (4th Cir. 2008) (breach of contract/unfair competition/bad faith) (2006 trial, 2008 appeal)

Republic Tobacco LP v. North Atlantic Trading Co., 254 F. Supp. 2d 1007 (N.D. Ill. 2003), 381 F.3d 717 (7th Cir. 2004). Representing plaintiff Republic. Reported in National Law Journal as one of the top 100 verdicts of 2003 (antitrust/defamation/unfair competition).  See also National Law Journal, June 27, 2004 (“Lights, camera and . . . time to testify”); Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, July 9, 2003 (“Jury Awards Tobacco Firm $19 Million for Defamation”)

Columbia Management, Inc. v. Mesirow Financial, et al., No. 05 CH 06462 (Ill. Ch. Ct. 2004) (trade secret/breach of fiduciary duty) (2005 temporary restraining order proceedings)

Neopost Industrie B.V. v. PFE International, Inc., et al., No. 04 C 5047 (N.D. Ill. 2004) (patent); Printed Forms Equipment Ltd. v. Neopost, Inc. and Hasler, Inc., No. 05-cv-01556-CFD (D. Conn. 2005) (patent)

Republic Technologies North America v. BBK Tobacco & Foods, Inc., et al., No. 05 CV 00203 (N.D. Ill. 2005) (patent)

Hunter Engineering Co. v. Snap-on Incorporated, et al., Arbitration (patent) (2005 arbitration)

In re Burns & Roe Enterprises, Inc., Case No. 00-41610 (RG) (U.S. Bk. Ct., Dist. N.J. 2000) (insurance coverage/breach of contract) (resulting in first "hybrid pass through" agreement in asbestos bankruptcy)

John Daniels, et al. v. Wayne Bursey, et al., 430 F.3d 424 (7th Cir. 2005) (ERISA/fraud)

Pitney Bowes Inc. v. Hasler, Inc., et al., No. 02 C 4674 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (trade secret)

Salton, Inc. v. Sensio, et al., No 04 C 5093 (N.D. Ill. 2004) (patent/antitrust)

Fedders Corporation v. Elite Classics, et al., 268 F. Supp. 2d 1051, 279 F. Supp. 2965 (S.D. Ill. 2003) (trade dress/antitrust) (2003 preliminary injunction proceedings)

Deering Precision Instruments, L.L.C. v. Vector Distribution Systems, Inc., et al., 347 F.3d 1314 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (patent) (2003 summary judgment and appeal)

Lifetime Products, Inc. v. GSC Technology Corp., 321 F. Supp. 2d 938 (N.D. Ill. 2004); Civ. Action No. 1:03CV00062 TC (Dist. Ct., Utah 2003); CV No. 04-1080 JP (D.P.R.) (patent/antitrust/fraud)

The Tirehanger Corporation v. American Honda Motor Company, Inc., et al., Case No. CV 03-6776 PA (Ex) (C.D. CA 2003) (patent/unfair competition)

Snap-on Incorporated v. Launch Tech Co., Ltd., et al., Case No. CV-04-8623AHM (PLAx) (Dist. Ct., C.D. CA 2003) (patent) (preliminary injunction entered)