Michael J. O’Neill

Michael O’Neill is a seasoned litigator with decades of experience, working with individuals and both private and publicly traded companies. As a trial lawyer, Mr. O’Neill has served as first chair trial attorney in over 25 jury trials across 10 different states including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Arizona, West Virginia, Washington and California. Each of these matters involved exposure to his clients of over $1,000,000, with most in excess of $5,000,000. Every single matter resulted in defense verdicts or resolution of the matter within pre-trial settlement authority and/or below a pre-trial offer. 

For the first 20 years of his practice, Mr. O’Neill defended some of the world’s largest companies in bet-the-company lawsuits. For nearly 15 years he acted as an arm of a Fortune 30 company’s legal department serving as its National Trial Counsel, litigating cases and coordinating internal investigations in over 30 states.

Following his freshman year of college, Mr. O’Neill enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard and attended basic training at Ft. Benning, GA. He then completed the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant. He completed his undergraduate degree a semester early and in January of 1994, attended the U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, and was trained to fly rotary wing aircraft for the U.S. Army and Pennsylvania National Guard. He remained active in the Pennsylvania National Guard until 2005.

EDUCATION

B.A. 1994, University of Scranton

J.D. 1998, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

BAR ADMISSIONS

Admitted to practice in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey

PAST EXPERIENCE

Ansa Assuncao LLP – 2008-2018

Piper & Marbury / DLA Piper – 1999-2008

Taught Trial Advocacy as an Adjunct Professor for 7 years at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

PERSONAL

Mike is a proud father two daughters

Overbrook Golf Club

Past Co-President and Board Member of the Radnor Aquatic Club

Member of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, one of the oldest recognized organizations in the United States military

FUN FACTS

Inducted into the Wayne/Pike County Area Sports Hall of Fame in October 2018

Played varsity baseball at Scranton University and varsity football at Fordham University (prior to transferring to Scranton)

Mike is a licensed private pilot – rotary and fixed wing – and earned his private pilot’s license at the age of 17 after beginning his aviation career at 13.   

Representative Matters

The only attorney to have tried a catastrophic case first chair for UPS in Pennsylvania, New Jersey or New York as “core counsel” in the past 10+ years

Youngest associate at DLA Piper to first-chair a major jury trial in which a defense verdict was obtained

Tried over 25 cases in federal and state courts across the country, ranging in value from the seven to nine