Willow | Australia
The defence rests
Earlier this month I got an email from lawyer Chris Murphy. Apparently a couple of posts in the forums had gained his notice. It was an informal letter but it held a threat of legal action against
LeagueUnlimited.
There was also a mobile phone number, so I rang it.
Murphy is often described as a high-profile celebrity lawyer. His record as a silk is akin to a gnarly-ear-bitten prop forward who goes in high and damns the consequences. He may be defending his line, but he always seems to be on the front foot when doing so.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Murphy is a rugby league supporter. His elite clientele include a number of rugby league players, and he has no shortage of opinion on the political machinations of the game.
Murphy answered the phone. We had a good chat and the threat of legal action passed very quickly. But the call didn't stop there.
On reflection, it was actually an engaging conversation - Murphy likes to talk, even more than I do. The banter reached an interesting juncture when, in an effort to drive home his point, he started quoting Winston Churchill!
Murphy then confessed that he thought
LeagueUnlimited was owned by Rupert Murdoch. As soon as he found out we are an independent publication, he became very supportive, an almost socialist ideal seemed to skim the surface.
But Murphy is also a high-roller when it comes to making, and losing, a quid. In 2008, he lost a share portfolio worth more than $100 million in the collapse of stockbroker Opes Prime. He came out of it still owning a harbourside unit and Murphy's Lawyers Inc.
As a Member of the Bar, Murphy has defended some high-profile cases. These include 31 Bandido bikies following the Milperra massacre and entrepreneur John Singleton. Murphy has also been there for Jeff Fenech, Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones as well as league players Hazem El Masri and Lance Thompson.
In 2005, Murphy's dislike for pushy law enforcement was well documented when
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that 'pugnacious Sydney solicitor Chris Murphy' was arrested after an argument with police at Bondi Junction. The reasons were not reported, only to say it was a 'confrontation', which is not surprising. Murphy's black 4WD is still sporting the number plate 'VERBAL', and he once raced greyhounds with the names of 'Constable Plod' and 'Oink Oink'. It's the no fear factor that makes for a good yarn, and the confrontation could have been over anything.
Murphy was later released without charge.
More recently, Murphy got into a flame war with
Crikey bloggers after an article's author penned a less than flattering version of the Opes Prime collapse.
At one point, Murphy typed out a post worthy of LeagueUnlimited's Fight Club:
"Well what can I say? A lie, an untruth, a malicious fabrication or are you just an idiot playing on mum’s computer while she cooks dinner?"
No quarter asked for, and none given. The stouch went on for several days.
During our conversation Murphy spoke of the Bulldogs Coffs Harbour rape allegations, and he confided that it was he who advised Hazem El Masri not to submit a DNA test. Murphy praised El Masri as a clean living bloke who should never have been subjected to scrutiny during events that took place in 2004.
Lawyer Adam Houda followed suit. Amidst a media frenzy which saw player's rights and basic principles placed in the front line, El Masri was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Murphy later represented former Dragons forward Lance Thompson. In trying to broker a better deal for the departing St George junior, Murphy went in with all guns blazing.
"This case is a hair's breath away from expensive litigation," Murphy told
The Daily Telegraph.
"Let them bring the evidence and I'll tear them to shreds."
The matter was later settled behind closed doors, both sides agreeing the terms of the agreement would remain confidential.
Solicitor, name dropper, gambler, league supporter, ratbag to some and as complex as they come - Murphy has been called all these things and more in the 'Who's Who' of the Sydney landscape.
Nowadays, Murphy leads a relatively quiet life. I rang him today just to farm out one more anecdote but he asked if I could call him tomorrow, as he was distracted by a far more important event... he had to pick up his kids from school.
It appears that for the time being at least, the defence is resting.
| 750 words |
Ref:
The Australian
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23539537-28737,00.html?
from=public_rss
SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Murphys-law-police-hold-top-
lawyer/2005/06/10/1118347602373.html
Crikey
http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/11/what-will-happen-to-chris-murphy/
Pic
Daily Telegraph
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new...-1111115946949