Ralph J. O’Neill

Partner

About

In over thirty years of practice, Ralph O’Neill has emphasized civil litigation, including insurance coverage, maritime, construction defect and accident defense, products liability, and commercial disputes. He has served as lead counsel for many primary and excess insurers. He has significant transactional experience as well, from negotiating and documenting the sale of a web site to drafting complex construction contracts.

He emphasizes development of fundamental case strategy and management of cases to provide innovative and proportionate approaches to achieving clients’ goals. The firm remains current with state-of-the-art technology. He has developed long-term relationships with clients who repeatedly turn to him for representation and guidance; most clients are by word of mouth. He has sophisticated clients who have relied on him for over twenty-five years.

He has substantial trial experience in state and federal courts in Hawaii and has argued before the Hawaii Supreme Court. He has served as lead counsel in numerous mediations and arbitrations.

Mr. O’Neill has been with two firms for his entire career. He joined Davis Reid & Richards, AAL, in Honolulu in 1988 as an associate and became a partner in five years, after the firm was known as Reid Richards & Miyagi, AAL. He remained with the firm until dissolution in 1998, when he joined MacDonald Rudy as a partner.

He is licensed to practice law in all courts in the states of California and Hawaii. He is admitted in all state court and federal courts in Hawaii, state courts in California, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the State Bar of California, Hawaii State Bar Association, American Bar Association, Federal Bar Association, and the Maritime Law Association of the United States. He served as a Director on the Hawaii State Bar Association for Two Years, 2020 to 2021. 

Mr. O’Neill graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. He graduated from the University of California, Hastings College of Law, in 1987.

Licenses and Bar Admissions
  • Hawaii (Hawaii Bar No. 4705)
  • United States District Court, District of Hawaii
  • California (State Bar No. 198197)
  • United States District Court, Central District of California
  • Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Professional Associations
  • Hawaii State Bar Association
  • Federal State Bar Association
  • American Bar Association
  • Federal Bar Association

Education
  • University of California, Hastings College of Law (JD) 1987
  • University of California, Berkeley (BA) 1982

Share by: