Biography
Timothy P. O’Neill
Shareholder / 617 226-3442 / Email / PDF
Office: Boston
Areas of Concentration
Chair of Tort and Professional Liability and Product Liability, Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice and Business Litigation
Experience
Mr. O’Neill heads the firm’s tort and professional liability group and has tried cases in federal and state courts throughout New England for over 30 years. He has served as a mediator and as a court-appointed master in civil cases.
From 1972 through 1981, Mr. O’Neill was an Assistant District Attorney and Chief of the Major Felony Trial Team for Suffolk County, Boston. In that capacity, he prosecuted major felony cases, white collar crime, and political corruption. His conviction rate before criminal juries was over 90%.
In 1982, he became a founding partner in Murphy, DeMarco and O’Neill, P.C., a 25-attorney firm specializing in civil litigation. After joining Hanify & King in 1993, he continued his work concentrating in jury trials in every major area of civil litigation, representing companies, medical institutions, and individuals. He has tried over 90 civil jury trials, again with a success rate of over 90%.
Mr. O’Neill served as Chairman of the Finance Commission of the City of Boston from 1986-1988, a fiscal watchdog agency with subpoena power. In that capacity, he led major investigations into management practices in the Boston School Department and the Boston Police Department.
Representative Engagements
- Successfully defended Harvard-affiliated medical institutions in a variety of jury trials involving professional liability, director and officer liability, employment disputes, and insurance coverage disputes.
- Successfully defended a major mutual fund company in a case involving stolen securities.
- Successfully defended major construction company in a suit alleging faulty construction of commercial property.
- Successfully defended product liability cases in state and federal courts.
Education
- Boston University, J.D., 1971
- Brandeis University, M.A., 1970
- Gregorian University, Rome, S.T.B., cum laude, 1966
Bar and Court Admissions
- Massachusetts State Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
Professional Involvement
- Massachusetts Bar Association
- Boston Bar Association
- Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys (Member, Board of Governors, 1989)
- National Association of Defense Lawyers
Speeches
- Mr. O’Neill is a frequent speaker at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) seminars on trial practice.
Recent Publications
- Mass Lawyers Weekly, "Hearsay: Face to Face" with Timothy O'Neill, May 2005.
- Counsellors at Law, "Partners Letter: A Cautionary Tale," Spring 2005
- ABA's, The Journal of the Section of Litigation, "Turning the Tables," Winter 2003
- Forbes.com, "Sex, God & Greed," June 2003
