Sean M. O'Neill
Legal Experience
My path to the law is as unique as the Bay Area itself, here's my story.
In 2011, I graduated with a Juris Doctor and passed the California State Bar. Immediately following my passing of the Bar, I began work as a litigation associate with a long-established firm in Fremont; specializing in the litigation of real estate, business, and personal injury cases.
During that time I handled numerous complex business and real estate disputes ranging from the rescission of grant deeds to actions for breach of commercial leases. At any given point in time I had over two dozen cases in active litigation, while at same time providing regular services to individuals seeking estate planning and other legal services. After three years, I established my own firm.
I tell this story to demonstrate the breadth of business, legal, and life experience I bring to my practice. You can rest assured that having me as your attorney means that you have a determined advocate, as well as a trusted advisor. My goal is not to have our interaction be a one-time arrangement; rather, I hope to be your lawyer for life, counseling and assisting you, as needed, in all of your endeavors.
Military Service
I was born and raised in Fremont, California and attended Mission San Jose High School where I graduated in 2000. When I turned 17, I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was trained as an infantryman or, as commonly called in the Marines, a grunt. During my time in the Marines I was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego and went on three deployments.
In 2002, I deployed with a Marine Expeditionary Unit, traveling to Singapore, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Australia. In 2003, I was in initial wave of the invasion of Iraq with the First Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion of the First Marine Division. In 2004, I returned to Iraq where I was wounded in an ambush on the Iraqi-Syrian border in the town of Al-Qaim. In April of that year I participated in the First Battle of Fallujah, following which I received a Navy Achievement Medal for valor and a Purple Heart.
During my final deployment, I rose to command my own vehicle and 6 other Marines in various combat operations in Al-Anbar Province in Western Iraq.
Education
In September of 2004, I left the Marines and began my college studies, ultimately graduating from UC Berkeley in 2008. During my time at Cal I realized that my passion lay in the law and its power to protect and preserve the rights of all individuals in our society. Following my graduation from Cal, I began my legal studies at Santa Clara University’s School of Law, with a focus on tax and employment law.
While in Law School, I honed my courtroom skills via a clerkship with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office where I successfully litigated Penal Code § 1538.5 hearings, which are motions by defendants to suppress evidence.
2008 University of California, Berkeley, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science.
2011 Santa Clara University, School of Law, Juris Doctor.