Michael C. O'Neill

Michael concentrates his practice in insurance defense, insurance coverage, and commercial litigation. He has had numerous jury verdicts in New York and Illinois, including in premises liability, motor vehicle liability, labor law, insurance coverage, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and defamation. Michael also has extensive experience in environmental long-tail insurance coverage defense and achieved a significant recovery for a client in a complex maritime arbitration proceeding. His bench trial experience includes trials involving the valuation of shares in a closely held corporation and successfully prosecuting a personal injury claim on behalf of a former prison inmate in the Court of Claims.

While he is prepared to take cases to trial when appropriate or necessary, Michael is a firm believer in alternative dispute resolution, whether court-sponsored or privately arranged. He has successfully resolved numerous matters on behalf of his clients through mediation and arbitration, thereby avoiding the higher costs of trial.

Over the years, Michael has learned that the person in the room who knows the most about both sides of a case usually controls the proceedings and directs the focus of the court/arbitrator/mediator to the issues most advantageous to the client's position. It is this realization, and his desire to be the most well-prepared and knowledgeable person in the room, that drives how he approaches each case.

Before joining Hodgson Russ, Michael worked as a trial and coverage attorney in Buffalo for seven years and practiced for nine years in Chicago.

• Listed, Best Lawyers in America (Insurance Law) 2016 - 2024

Michael coached basketball, softball, and volleyball at the grammar school level, but retired when his youngest reached high school. He previously served on the board of directors of the Buffalo Ski Club. He spends the bulk of his free time driving his children from event to event.