Timothy P. O’Connor is the principal of O’Connor Law, LLC and an accomplished trial and
appellate lawyer, litigator and Arbitrator who practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, civil rights, employment, federal criminal defense, and tort litigation.
Mr. O’Connor is rated “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell and has been designated a “Super Lawyer” seventeen times (2009-2010, 2012-26).
Mr. O’Connor has over 35 years of experience representing major corporations, substantial
government entities and individuals in complex civil and criminal cases, including antitrust, civil racketeering, patent, contract, breach of fiduciary duty, directors and officers, product liability, common law tort, civil rights, employment and administrative review matters and federal and state criminal cases involving wire fraud, tax fraud, racketeering, firearms, narcotics and other charges.
Mr. O’Connor has tried ten federal jury trials and numerous bench trials, arbitrations and
evidentiary hearings. Mr. O’Connor has also represented clients at numerous other court hearings and at mediations before retired judicial officers. Mr. O’Connor has handled matters in federal and state courts throughout the United States. As an Arbitrator, Mr. O’Connor has served in over forty arbitral proceedings, including the adjudication of numerous evidentiary hearings and complex motions.
Mr. O’Connor has briefed and orally argued eight appeals before the United States Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and the Illinois Appellate Court and acted as lead counsel or
appeared on the briefs in numerous other appeals.
Among Mr. O’Connor’s successful representations as lead counsel are the following:
– Obtained complete defense jury verdict in federal civil rights trial
– Obtained $1.5 million dollar settlement for FDIC of claims against directors
and officers of failed financial institution after mediation before retired federal
magistrate judge
– Obtained confidential and other settlements of commercial matters after court
proceedings, extended arbitral proceedings and/or mediation
– Obtained summary judgment, dismissal and/or favorable settlements of
numerous civil rights and tort claims against law enforcement officers and
related civil rights, tort and indemnity claims against a large municipality
– Obtained hung jury on, and subsequent agreement to dismiss, principal charge
(possession of a firearm by a felon) in federal criminal trial (co-lead counsel);
– Obtained sanctions ruling of dismissal of party’s claims with prejudice
– Obtained reversal of $230,526.81 in restitution and forfeiture ordered as part of
judgment in federal criminal case
– Obtained suppression of alleged confession by juvenile transferred to adult
criminal court after multi-day evidentiary hearing
– Obtained favorable sentencing outcomes in a number of federal criminal cases.
Among the other significant matters in which Mr. O’Connor has played a substantial role are the following:
– Defense of major pharmaceutical company against highly significant product
liability claim (jury venire filling out questionnaires when case continued and
later settled; one of three second chairs to Dan Webb)
-Defense of major tobacco company against antitrust and related claims (one of two second chairs to Dan Webb during cross examination of critical economic expert)
– Defense of grocery store chain in federal bench trial against breach of contract
claim (second chair; judgment for defendant)
– Defense of metal products manufacturer in two arbitral trials against breach of
contract and/or statutory claims (second chair in both proceedings; favorable
award in one proceeding; settlement during other proceeding)
– Defense of major tobacco company against racketeering and related claims
– Defense of major telecom equipment manufacturer against patent infringement
claims
– Defense of major paper products manufacturer against patent infringement
claim
– Defense of major tobacco company against indemnity claim brought by
bankrupt asbestos manufacturing company
– Defense of major surgical products manufacturer against breach of license
agreement and promissory fraud claims
– Defense of major medical testing firm against breach of contract claims and
prosecution of breach of warranty and fraud counterclaims
– Defense of payment processing company against various employment,
commercial and tort claims
– Defense of public pension fund in both trial and appellate courts against
administrative review litigation of adverse benefits decisions (first chair during
trial court and appellate court oral arguments)
– Defense of public corruption case
Mr. O’Connor is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s National Roster of
Arbitrators for commercial cases. In addition, Mr. O’Connor serves as an Arbitrator in consumer cases for the American Arbitration Association.
Mr. O’Connor is a panel attorney in the Federal Defender Program. Mr. O’Connor also has served on the Chicago Bar Association Defense of Prisoners Committee and Chicago Bar Association Tort Committee.
Mr. O’Connor speaks and writes about legal issues. Among his articles and presentations are the following:
– Qualified Immunity Decisions Of The Seventh Circuit, 2014-2020: Procedural
And Substantive Developments, CLE Webinar (Zoom) (Spring, Summer, Fall,
2021);
– Qualified Immunity, Article in Review Magazine of the Illinois Municipal
League (August, 2020)
– Qualified Immunity Decisions Of The Seventh Circuit, 2014-2019: Procedural
And Substantive Developments, CLE Webinar (Zoom) (Spring, Summer, Fall,
2020);
– Attorney-Client Privilege, other Privileges, the Work Product Doctrine and
Related Issues, Presentation at Chicago Bar Association Tort Committee
Seminar (March 2010);
– Recent Developments in the Law of Qualified Immunity in the United States
Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Presentation at the Annual Conference
of the Illinois Municipal League (September, 2010);
– Recent Developments in the Law of Qualified Immunity in the United States
Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Article in Review Magazine of the
Illinois Municipal League (September, 2010);
– Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and the Risk to Business:
Employer Liability for Employee Misuse of the Internet, Presentation to
Chicago Bar Association Corporate Law Departments Committee (April,
2008); and,
– A Deal Is A Deal, Or Is It? Presentation to Chicago Bar Association Corporate
Law Departments Committee regarding the interplay of contract, fiduciary duty
and tortious interference principles, (February 2006);
– Meyer & O’Connor Updates (2009-2014, 2019-20) discussing § 230(c)(1) of
the Communications Decency Act of 1996, the impact of Twombly and Iqbal on state court pleading standards, fiduciary duties arising in contractual and similar relationships, the proper description of an email string on a privilege log and other issues presented by privileged email, tortious interference with contract and prospective economic advantage, significant appellate decisions and various amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure. Copies of the Meyer & O’Connor Update are available at https://oconnorlaw.llc/news/mo-update-2/ (Meyer & O’Connor, LLC is the predecessor firm of O’Connor Law, LLC).
Mr. O’Connor graduated cum laude with highest distinction in history from the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1986, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Mr. O’Connor graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989. Before founding Meyer & O’Connor, LLC, the predecessor of O’Connor Law, LLC, Mr. O’Connor practiced law for eighteen years, first as an Associate and then as a Partner, in the Litigation Department of Winston & Strawn.
Education
B.A., History, 1986
University of Illinois
Cum Laude with Highest Distinction in History
Phi Beta Kappa
J.D., 1989
University of Michigan
Cum Laude
Prior Professional Experience
1997-2007, Partner, Winston & Strawn
1989-1997, Associate, Winston & Strawn
Contact
825 Chicago Avenue
Unit C-8
Evanston, Illinois 60202
312.346.9000
toconnor@meyeroconnor.com