Kevin J. Murphy

Kenneth L. Trefftzs Chair in Finance,
Professor of Finance and Business Economics,
USC Marshall School of Business;
Professor of Business and Law (by courtesy),
USC Gould School of Law,
University of Southern California

For more information, contact:

  • Ashish A. Pradhan
  • Kyla Wethli

or any member of our senior staff.

Education

    • University of Chicago, Ph.D.
    • University of Chicago, M.A.
    • University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa)

Kevin J. Murphy is an internationally known expert on executive compensation. Professor Murphy analyzes pay and performance issues that include incentive and stock-based compensation, executive packages and contracts, and related corporate governance and finance topics.

Professor Murphy has been retained as an expert in numerous matters and testified at trial or by deposition in U.S. federal and state courts, as well as the Delaware Court of Chancery. He has provided testimony on executive compensation to the U.S. House of Representatives and a Congressional Oversight Panel. In addition, Professor Murphy has served as expert advisor to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Special Master of Executive Compensation. In this role, he reviewed and approved the level and structure of compensation for companies receiving “exceptional assistance” from the U.S. government.

Professor Murphy’s research spans economics, finance, accounting, legal, and organizational behavior subjects. He has served as an associate editor of the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, and the Journal of Corporate Finance. His research has been published in the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Political Economy, the American Economic Review, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics, among others. Professor Murphy’s research on executive compensation has also appeared in the mainstream media.

Professor Murphy speaks at academic and professional conferences in the United States and internationally. He has given presentations at events organized by the Conference Board, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Chicago, and the Aspen Institute.

At USC, Professor Murphy teaches courses in financial policies, economics, corporate control, compensation, incentives, and corporate governance. Previously, he served on the faculties of Harvard Business School and the University of Rochester.

Professional Affiliations
    • American Economic Association
    • American Finance Association