Grace Robinson Murphy

Grace's practice focuses on complex civil litigation, managed health care, and ERISA litigation. In her ERISA litigation practice, she represents sponsoring employers, plans, plan administrators, insurers, and third party administrators in numerous federal and appellate courts. She regularly handles benefit claim disputes brought by plan participants and beneficiaries (including life, health, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment coverages and pension and retirement plans), fiduciary breach claims, and COBRA continuation coverage disputes. She is well-versed in preemption, standard of review, and ERISA remedy issues. Grace has been widely recognized for her many years of experience in ERISA litigation including being named Best Lawyers® 2020 “Lawyer of the Year” in Litigation: ERISA.

• Davis v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 980 F.3d 541 (6th Cir. 2020)
• Smith v. Hartford Life & Accident Ins. Co., No. CV 5:19-061-DCR, 2020 WL 4355068 (E.D. Ky. July 29, 2020)
• Cofield v. Hartford, No. 4:18-CV-00607-SGC, 2020 WL 2218935 (N.D. Ala. May 7, 2020)
• Meiman v. Aetna Life Ins. Co., 2019 WL 5782099 (E.D. Ky. Nov. 5, 2019)
• Griffin v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 898 F.3d 371 (4th Cir. 2018)
• Bales v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11180 (S.D. Miss. Jan. 24, 2018)
• ​Quarles v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10506 (W.D. Ky. Jan. 23, 2018)
• Griffin v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10295 (W.D. Va. Jan. 25, 2017)
• Potts v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104432 (W.D. Pa. Aug. 9, 2016)
• Quarles v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65188 (W.D. Ky. May 18, 2016)
• Pugh v. El Paso Corp. Pension Plan, 617 Fed. Appx. 964 (11th Cir. 2015)
• Melech v. Life Insurance Company of North America, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104898 (S.D. Ala. Aug. 10, 2015)
• Glenn v. Am. United Life Ins. Co., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 6043 (11th Cir. Apr. 14, 2015)
• Campbell v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 137366 (W.D. Tenn. Aug. 5, 2014) adopted by 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 136068 (W.D. Tenn. Sept. 26, 2014)
• Cook v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64125 (M.D. Tenn. May 6, 2013)
• Express Oil Change, LLC v. ANB Ins. Servs., et al., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 43288 (N.D. Ala. Mar. 27, 2013)
• Kelley v. Hartford Life and Accident Ins. Co., 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 154299 (E.D. Tenn. Nov. 8, 2011) adopted by 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39093 (E.D. Tenn. Mar. 22, 2012)
• Greene v. Jefferson County Commission, 13 So. 3d 901 (Ala. 2009)
• Ruple v. Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company, 340 Fed. Appx. 604 (11th Cir. Aug. 11, 2009)
• Greene, et al. v. Jefferson County Commission, 563 F.3d 1243 (11th Cir. 2009)
• Vulcan Materials Co. v. Alabama Insurance Guaranty Association, et al., 985 So. 2d 376 (Ala. 2007).
• Hayes v. Hartford Life Insurance Company, 2007 U.S. App. LEXIS 26682 (11th Cir. Nov. 15, 2007)
• House v. Life Insurance Company of North America, 399 F.Supp.2d 1254 (N.D.Ala. 2005)

• American Bar Association
• Alabama State Bar Association
• Birmingham Bar Association: Federal Practice Section, Chair 2016-2017, Former Secretary/Treasurer; Women’s Law Section, Former Chair of the Leadership Development Task Force
• Junior League of Birmingham: Teen Court Judge
• Birmingham Children's Theater, Past Junior Board President
• First Light Homeless Shelter for Women and Children