Effective Settlements: Tools for Trial Lawyers

Patrick W. “Pat” Murray has been a Partner with SMT Legal since 2009. Pat has worked in the legal industry since 2002, working at some of the top law firms in the region. His professional reputation for success has led to an award-winning career, during which he has been honored to have been selected as both a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star and Pennsylvania Super Lawyer across multiple years, including every year since 2016. Pat has also been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Top 50 Pittsburgh list. His case results achieved for his clients also landed him recognition in the nation’s Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Beyond his civil litigation accomplishments, Pat serves as a mediator for civil litigation, catastrophic loss and injury cases. He initially concentrated his practice in the area of civil litigation defense for transportation companies which included major trucking and railroad companies and expanded his practice to include a variety of areas within civil defense including nursing home litigation and motor vehicle accidents before transitioning to represent injury victims and the family members of wrongful death victims. He has also represented clients through real estate transactions and closings. Pat graduated from Point Park University with a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies in 2000. Subsequently, He earned his Juris Doctor from Duquesne University School of Law in 2003. During law school, Pat served as Associate Comment Editor of the Law Review. In addition to the aforementioned awards, Pat has also been included among America’s Top 100 High Stakes Litigators®, America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys®, the Nation’s Top One Percent of Attorneys by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel, the Top 100 Plaintiff Civil Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers, and as a Top Car Accident Attorney and Top Contributor for Avvo, which also awarded him the Client’s Choice Award. Of his work and professional reputation, his peers say he “strives to always represent clients the best way possible,” is “a brilliant attorney, highly respected in the legal community,” and that he “consistently achieves superior results and his advice is always practical and on point.” Pat is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association, Pennsylvania Council of Mediators, and a President’s Club Member of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He has served his beloved community by volunteering with organizations including Shaler Area Little League, Shaler Area Elementary Basketball Association, Blessed Trinity Academy, the Shaler Township Civil Service Commission, and Stack-Up, a military veteran’s charity. He lives in the North Hills area of Pittsburgh with his wife and two children.