Hugh O’Neill
Hugh O’Neill is a Board Member of
Jefferson Waterman International and Counselor to the firm,
advising clients on a wide range of defense contracting matters
and on foreign mergers and acquisitions. His depth of
experience–both as a representative of government
procurement interests and private defense companies–is an
important asset for JWI clients, as is his firsthand knowledge
of individuals and issues central to international business
activity.
As Principal Deputy General Counsel of the
United States Navy during the defense build-up of the 1980s,
Hugh O’Neill was integrally involved in many major
Department of Defense procurements, including that of the Los
Angeles-Class 688 nuclear attack submarine and the F/A 18
Hornet carrier-based aircraft. He also has drafted and
negotiated important memoranda of understanding between the
Departments of Defense and defense ministries of other nations.
Since leaving the government, Mr. O’Neill has, in the
private sector, successfully represented clients in numerous
government contract negotiations and international mergers and
acquisitions.
While one important aspect of Mr.
O’Neill’s career has been providing strategic and
tactical counsel on government and commercial contract matters,
he also has served as a delegate to top-level international
treaty negotiations, including the Law of the Sea Convention;
the London Dumping Convention on Hazardous Wastes; and the
Soviet/U.S. Maritime Boundary Proceedings. In this capacity, he
not only demonstrated a facility for resolving complex
international issues, but also had an opportunity to cultivate
a network of defense-related decision-makers throughout the
world. Additionally, earlier in his career, Mr. O’Neill
was a senior White House staff member on the President’s
Property Review Board, an experience that enabled him to
develop an understanding of both the workings of the White
House staff and the National Security Council.
For his service to the U.S. government,
Mr. O’Neill was awarded the Defense Distinguished Public
Service Medal and the Navy Distinguished Public Service Medal.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in international
relations from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia;
his Juris Doctor degree from the Villanova School of Law in
Villanova, Pennsylvania; and a diploma in Comparative Legal
Studies from the University of Cambridge in England.
