Attorneys
Gaya K. Murthy
Gaya Murthy joined Perry, Johnson, Anderson, Miller & Moskowitz LLP in late 2025, as a general civil litigator with an emphasis on sexual assault victims’ rights. Her areas of practice are Civil Litigation, Criminal Law, Healthcare Litigation, Administrative Law and Appeals.
Areas of Practice
Professional Experience
Gaya K. Murthy is originally from Toronto, Canada, and has been practicing law in California since 1996. She started her career as a public defender, trying dozens of misdemeanors, juvenile and felony cases, followed by criminal appellate defense work for the Fifth, Sixth and Third Districts of the California Court of Appeal.
Ms. Murthy was senior general counsel for the former California Department of Mental Health for nearly eight years, where she advised state hospitals and executives on licensing, compliance, and regulation; and collaborated with stakeholders to implement Proposition 63 (Mental Health Services Act) by designing culturally responsive mental health programs. She also litigated complex Medi-Cal appeals and partnered with the Attorney General to defend the State in high-profile civil litigation and appeals. She was awarded the State Superior Accomplishment Award for her regulatory drafting and statutory reform work.
Education and Memberships
Ms. Murthy received her Bachelor of Arts Degree with first-class honors from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She worked as a teacher and translator in Barcelona, Spain for three years before moving to the U.S. to obtain a Juris Doctorate from University of California, Davis, where she was a Public Interest Scholar and participated in litigation focused on civil rights, criminal law, and immigration.
Ms. Murthy is admitted to practice in all California courts, and is a member of the Sonoma County Bar Association and Sonoma County Women in Law.
Community Involvement
Ms. Murthy has been involved in community theater and the local film community as a screenwriter, actor and director. She has also worked as an instructor in public school theater programs and served as a parent member of school advisory committees. Her volunteer work has focused primarily on domestic violence.
