Peter J. Murphy

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Age: 39

Title at work/what I do: In my personal life, I try to be the best husband, father, and community member I can be on a daily basis. In my professional life, I am an employment attorney in Shipman & Goodwin's labor and employment department, where I advise employers such as public school systems, healthcare institutions, and manufacturers on the wide range of issues that arise with their employees. Employment work is very interesting, and every week I am presented with an issue or situation that I have never addressed before. Employment situations also can be very difficult to address, given the personal and emotional issues involved, and it is rewarding to assist clients with successfully resolving such situations.

Town where I work: Hartford

Town where I live: West Hartford

College I attended: Fairfield University (undergrad); University of Connecticut School of Law

My passion, hobby or special talent: Enjoy concerts; will see anyone, anywhere. Last two concerts were Phish and Taylor Swift (with my two daughters).

Twitter handle: @PZM33

No. of LinkedIn connections: 124

Favorite place to network: Wherever people are gathering. Good people can be found anywhere.

Favorite drink at a networking event: Guinness. Tastes great and low in alcohol.

How do I create connections in my professional life?

Being open to new experiences and opportunities; actively participating in organizations and associations; and demonstrating competency and dedication in anything I do.

What's been my biggest challenge professionally?

My biggest challenge has been identifying an area in which I should focus my practice while at Shipman & Goodwin. There are many areas of the law that I find interesting, and Shipman & Goodwin has allowed me to explore many of them. As a result, I have experience in many areas of the law, including personal injury, criminal, commercial disputes, employment, and educational issues.

What is the best advice I received?

A senior attorney at our firm once equated life to a three-legged stool, with home life, work life, and community life each being a leg. This attorney believed that you have to be engaged and happy in all three aspects in order to keep your life properly balanced. At that time, I had three young children, a wonderful wife, and had started a good career at Shipman & Goodwin. My stool was not balanced, though, as I was not as engaged in the Hartford community as I should have been. Since that time, I have joined the executive committee of the Young Leaders Advisory Council at Hartford Hospital, become a member of the Church Council at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Hartford, become a member of the board and secretary of the Hartford Youth Scholars Foundation, and become a board member of Key Human Services. These organizations span many different fields, from education to health to spiritual to social services. I am thankful to be a part of each organization, as they have been both personally and professionally rewarding.

What do I want my legacy to be?

If I was remembered as a great husband and father, a positive contributor to the Hartford community, and a respected attorney, I would consider that to be a successful legacy.

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