Prior to his appointment, Justice Dunphy had been the principal of Russell Hill Advisory Services Inc. since 2012, where he was co-head of the firm’s National Insolvency and Restructuring Practice. He was previously an associate with Stikeman Elliott from 1985 to 1991, and a partner there from 1991 to 2012. He was a member of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and published numerous journal articles. He was a frequent lecturer and panellist on insolvency and securities law at professional conferences across Canada.

Justice Dunphy was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1985 and in British Columbia in 1992. He received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Toronto.