Robinson Cole LLP
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Eugene P. Murphy concentrates his practice in liability and property insurance coverage matters, liability defense, and insurance broker liability issues. For the past 33 years, he has focused on the evaluation, litigation, and resolution of a diverse range of coverage and commercial disputes, including mediations, arbitrations, and trials. In addition to his work in Florida, he has appeared before various state and federal courts throughout the country, including courts in Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.

Property Insurance Coverage Litigation

With respect to property matters, Gene defends insurers and renders coverage analysis advice in a wide range of claims, including hurricane and wind damage, business interruption, design defect, faulty workmanship, law and ordinance, earth movement, sinkholes, mold, water damage, theft, collapse, hail damage, fire, and power failure. He recently obtained a summary judgment ruling, upheld on appeal to the 11th Circuit, based upon the design defect exclusion under a builder's risk policy in the faulty construction of a publicly-owned water treatment facility. He also obtained a favorable settlement on behalf of an insurer in a multimillion-dollar business interruption and property damage lawsuit arising out of a theft of business inventory.

Liability Coverage

On the liability front, Gene provides coverage advice and litigates declaratory judgment actions involving various disputes, including duty to defend and indemnity obligations, employee exclusions, mold issues, assault and battery, additional insured issues, liquor liability exclusions, trigger and allocation issues, environmental, construction defect, contractual liability exclusions, bodily injury and property damage issues, occurrence and 'expected or intended' issues, your product exclusions, separation of insureds issues, medical payments coverage, completed work exclusions, late notice issues, excess and umbrella coverage issues, and ADA issues. Gene recently obtained a 'no duty to defend/indemnify' declaratory judgment arising out of the status of an injured worker and the application of employers' liability exclusion.

He regularly presents on insurance-related topics, and is the chair of the First Party Property Committee with the Florida Defense Lawyers Association. 

  • Fordham University School of Law (Juris Doctor)
  • Pace University (Masters)
    • LL.M., Environmental Law
  • Queens College, CUNY (Bachelors)
    • B.A., Political Science

  • State of Connecticut
  • State of Florida
  • State of New York

The Florida Bar

Florida Defense Lawyers Association
Chair, First Party Property Committee

Defense Research Institute

New York State Bar Association

International Association of Defense Counsel

Experience


Successful Company Assets Recovery in Business Assets Dispute

Represented a firearms company with multiple members under a multi-layer LLC entity structure involving an asset title and wrongful removal of business assets dispute. One of the members wrongfully removed hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of ammunition, firearm museum pieces, and company equipment under false pretenses from the company. The business dispute revolved around whether the defendant member was authorized, in a corporate capacity, to take possession and title of the subject assets. This led to litigation on behalf of the firearms company for conversion, fraud, breach of contract, conspiracy and civil theft grounds against the defendant member and his affiliated contractors.  We successfully obtained the return of a significant portion of the LLC assets.

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Employee Theft Claim Under Commercial Crime Policy

Represented insurer in multi-million dollar lawsuit and trial arising out of an Employee Theft claim under a commercial crime policy issued to a Fortune 500 manufacturing company. The claim centered on a former, management-level employee, who was responsible for the purchase of chemicals for use by the manufacturer. The employee allegedly developed a scheme with his relative by which he negotiated to purchase chemicals from minority-owned companies that participated in the manufacturer’s diverse supplier program and were owned/controlled by the relative. The manufacturer alleged that it did not know about the relationship and that the suppliers failed to provide value-added services. The case was tried in federal court, the Western District of Tennessee, and settled favorably on the third day of trial.

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Water Treatment Expansion Project

Allied World v. Travelers, 2023WL 3860033 (11th Cir. 2023) – Represented insurer in multimillion-dollar lawsuit arising out of the to design and construction of three concrete basins as part of a water treatment expansion project. One basin was permanently damaged during a leak test because its wall panels – as defectively designed and built – were susceptible to excessive, differential deflection when filled with water. Our insurer denied coverage, citing the “Design Defects” exclusion in the Builders’ Risk policy. In September 2022, the district court granted our insurer’s summary judgment motion and ruled that the “Design Defects” exclusion applies because the sole cause of damage to the basin was defective design and/or construction of the basin. On appeal, the 11th Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.

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Events


Past

Experts – Can’t Litigate With’em, Can’t Litigate Without’em: Building Credible Insurance Cases Through Expert Testimony

Mar 5 2026
2026 Florida Coverage College
Past

Coverage Trial Techniques: Trial set. What Now? The Evidence you Need or Don’t Need

Nov 20 2025
Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s (FDLA) Webinar Series
Past

Experts – Can’t Litigate With’em, Can’t Litigate Without’em: Building Credible Insurance Cases Through Expert Testimony

Mar 5 2026
2026 Florida Coverage College
Past

Coverage Trial Techniques: Trial set. What Now? The Evidence you Need or Don’t Need

Nov 20 2025
Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s (FDLA) Webinar Series
Past

Construction Defect Coverage Implications

Feb 10 2025
Florida Defense Lawyers Association Webinar
Past

Insurance Coverage Mediation Strategies & Techniques

Dec 10 2024
Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA) Webinar
Past

The Duty to Defend Additional Insureds

Oct 25 2023
Insurance Industry Conference: Tribeca Insurance Event
Past

Dynamics of Policy Limit Demands in the Context of the Tri-Partite Relationship

Jun 16 2022
Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s 25th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference
Past

Construction Defect Coverage Implications

Feb 10 2025
Florida Defense Lawyers Association Webinar
Past

Insurance Coverage Mediation Strategies & Techniques

Dec 10 2024
Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA) Webinar
Past

The Duty to Defend Additional Insureds

Oct 25 2023
Insurance Industry Conference: Tribeca Insurance Event
Past

Dynamics of Policy Limit Demands in the Context of the Tri-Partite Relationship

Jun 16 2022
Florida Defense Lawyers Association’s 25th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference

News


July 9, 2018

Larry Klein, Gene Murphy, and Rhonda Tobin Present Program on Policy Limit Demands

Insurance + Reinsurance Group lawyers Lawrence J. Klein, Eugene P. Murphy, and Rhonda J. Tobin presented the program “Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel” on June 13, 2018 at the firm. Attendees were lead through an interactive discussion on policy limit demands in an effort to coordinate a proper response. Mr. Klein, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Tobin addressed identifying a policy limit demand, the continuing need to fully evaluate a claim for liability and damages following receipt of a policy limit demand, the potential legal consequences of failing to properly respond to a policy limit demand, and best practices and strategies for responding to a policy limit demand. The presentation was the third in a newly launched “Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series” that offers continuing legal education (CLE) and networking catered exclusively to in-house counsel and attorney claim professionals in the insurance industry. The next program in the series is scheduled to take place on September 6.

April 13, 2018

Wystan Ackerman, Gene Murphy, and Dan Sullivan Present Webinar on Business Interruption Claims Arising from Catastrophes

March 24, 2017

Insurance + Reinsurance Group Lawyers Present at 39th Annual Arson Seminar

July 9, 2018

Larry Klein, Gene Murphy, and Rhonda Tobin Present Program on Policy Limit Demands

Insurance + Reinsurance Group lawyers Lawrence J. Klein, Eugene P. Murphy, and Rhonda J. Tobin presented the program “Policy Limit Demands— Protecting Insurers Against The Latest Strategy of Plaintiffs' Counsel” on June 13, 2018 at the firm. Attendees were lead through an interactive discussion on policy limit demands in an effort to coordinate a proper response. Mr. Klein, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Tobin addressed identifying a policy limit demand, the continuing need to fully evaluate a claim for liability and damages following receipt of a policy limit demand, the potential legal consequences of failing to properly respond to a policy limit demand, and best practices and strategies for responding to a policy limit demand. The presentation was the third in a newly launched “Insurance In-House Counsel CLE Series” that offers continuing legal education (CLE) and networking catered exclusively to in-house counsel and attorney claim professionals in the insurance industry. The next program in the series is scheduled to take place on September 6.

April 13, 2018

Wystan Ackerman, Gene Murphy, and Dan Sullivan Present Webinar on Business Interruption Claims Arising from Catastrophes

March 24, 2017

Insurance + Reinsurance Group Lawyers Present at 39th Annual Arson Seminar

February 21, 2017

Rhonda Tobin and Eugene Murphy Speak on Underwriting Issues in Insurance Claims

February 2, 2017

Gene Murphy Presents at Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference

December 15, 2015

Robinson+Cole’s Miami Office Has Moved

December 1, 2014

Robinson+Cole Opens Office in Miami

July 3, 2012

Eugene Murphy Presents Strategies for Litigating Insurance Coverage Claims

National Business Institute
June 15, 2011

Eugene Murphy Speaks at Insurance Seminar on Litigating Coverage Claims


February 21, 2017

Rhonda Tobin and Eugene Murphy Speak on Underwriting Issues in Insurance Claims

February 2, 2017

Gene Murphy Presents at Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference

December 15, 2015

Robinson+Cole’s Miami Office Has Moved

December 1, 2014

Robinson+Cole Opens Office in Miami

July 3, 2012

Eugene Murphy Presents Strategies for Litigating Insurance Coverage Claims

National Business Institute
June 15, 2011

Eugene Murphy Speaks at Insurance Seminar on Litigating Coverage Claims