William O'Neill
Member; Firm General Counsel
Cleveland
P: 216.348.5755
Bill is the firm's General Counsel and maintains an active litigation practice. He previously served as the chair of the firm’s Litigation Department for 17 years and as a member of the firm's Board of Directors and Executive Committee for 21 years. Bill has extensive experience in numerous areas of litigation. He has defended claims against firm clients in state and federal courts and administrative agencies throughout Ohio and surrounding states in connection with employment, products liability, professional liability, data privacy, insurance coverage, health care, and commercial litigation.
Bill has substantial experience in class action litigation in the employment, data privacy and health care areas and currently serves as National Coordinating Counsel for the toxic tort litigation of two multinational corporations. He has been appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to its Alternative Dispute Resolution Panel and by the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to its Panel of Mediators. He is a Life Member of the Judicial Conference of the Eighth Judicial District.
Bill is one of the firm's representatives to, and a member of the Board of Directors of, the International Lawyers Network (ILN), an association of 91 full-service law firms with over 5,000 lawyers worldwide.
Bill earned a J.D., cum laude, from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law in 1985. He received a B.A., cum laude, from Assumption College in 1982.
Admissions - Court
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
Admissions - State
- Ohio
Education
- The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
- Assumption College
Honors and Awards
- Selected for inclusion in Ohio Super Lawyers (2008-2021)
- Named one of the Best Lawyers in America (2013-2021)
Professional Membership
- Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Ohio State Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute
- American Health Lawyers Association
Public Service and Volunteerism
- Lawyers Guild of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland – Member, Executive Committee (2005-2013)
- Holy Spirit Parish Council – President (2002-2005)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County – Board Member (2008-2012)
- Alyce J & Ann J. Metka Charitable Foundation – Trustee
News
- 15 McDonald Hopkins attorneys selected to 2021 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars list
- Lawyer of the Year honorees Riley and Welin among 42 McDonald Hopkins attorneys recognized as 2021 Best Lawyers
- 41 attorneys from McDonald Hopkins recognized as 2020 Best Lawyers®
- Seventeen attorneys at McDonald Hopkins named 2019 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- 22 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins named 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
- 35 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers® 2018
- William J. O'Neill appointed to the Ohio Board of Bar Examiners
- Shawn M. Riley becomes president of McDonald Hopkins
- 39 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers 2017
- 24 attorneys at McDonald Hopkins named Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars