Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/477247
32 Hartford Business Journal • July 21, 2014 www.HartfordBusiness.com 40 Under Forty 2014 40 Under Forty 2014 Peter J. Murphy 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 situa- tion 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: Guin- ness. Tastes great and low in alcohol. How do I create connections in my profes- sional life? Being open to new experiences and oppor- tunities; actively participating in organizations and associations; and demonstrating compe- tency 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 expe- rience in many areas of the law, including per- sonal 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 & Good- win. 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 Hospi- tal, 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 dif- ferent fields, from education to health to spiri- tual 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. Peter participated in a semester at sea during his time at Fairfield University. FUN FACT Alison Morris Age: 34 Title at work/what do I do: TV news anchor. I anchor the 5 p.m., 10 p.m., and 11 p.m. news at FoxCT. Town where I work: Hartford Town where I live: Hartford College I attended: Yale University My passion, hobby or special talent: I'm a marathon runner. I'm running my 10th this November: New York City for the second year in a row! Twitter handle: @almorrisnews No. of LinkedIn connections: No idea! I'm not a big user. Don't tell my brother-in- law. He works there. Favorite place to network: Women's events. I love talking to brilliant, interesting females! Favorite drink at a networking event: Dirty vodka martini, up, blue cheese olives How do I create connections in my profes- sional life? I host and emcee a lot of events, and try to be actively involved in groups and causes that matter most to me. I'll also rarely pass up an opportunity to meet someone — whether it's someone in PR or TV — for a cof- fee or lunch. Worst case scenario? You had to eat that meal anyway. Best case scenario? You make a new friend or a great business contact. What's been my biggest challenge professionally? Figuring out exactly what path I want my career to take. I am so passionate about so many different things. I have always been the type of person who wants to have a hand in everything! What is the best advice I received? "Work hard, be kind, and amazing things will happen." Conan O'Brien said that to a graduating class at Dartmouth after he was fired from The Tonight Show. What do I want my legacy to be? That I worked hard, that I was kind, and that I did an amazing thing or two. Of the 946 Connecticut residents who ran in the New York City Marathon last year, Alison finished 411th. FUN FACT "I have always been the type of person who wants to have a hand in everything!"