William O’Connor’s experience includes aviation, product liability, insurance/reinsurance, toxic tort, and commercial litigation matters. He has tried jury cases to verdict in federal and state court. His practice involves complex and multidistrict litigation, with a special emphasis on the representation of aerospace companies in high-stakes litigation. Mr. O’Connor’s areas of focus include litigation arising from significant aviation accidents and product liability matters. Mr. O’Connor has represented airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and airports in high-profile cases involving major commercial airline disasters, military and civilian helicopter accidents, and business jet crashes.
Mr. O’Connor also represents aerospace clients in commercial matters, including airport and aircraft leasing issues, FAA enforcement proceedings, insurance disputes, and product liability prevention and counseling. He currently serves as head of the firm’s UAS/Drones Working Group. Additionally, Mr. O’Connor maintains a broad commercial litigation practice beyond aviation, which includes trial and arbitration of disputes relating to patent license agreements, partnerships, real estate, and insurance coverage.
Mr. O’Connor has extensive insurance industry experience, including a six-month secondment to the group general counsel of Amlin, PLC, the largest Lloyd’s insurer in the London market. He routinely advises clients on coverage and risk management issues.
Mr. O’Connor continues to be recommended by Legal 500 US in the area of aviation litigation and by Best Lawyers in America for product liability litigation. In 2014, Chambers USA ranked him among the leading lawyers in aviation litigation. He was also recognized by his peers as a finalist for The San Diego Daily Transcript’s “2008 Young Attorneys.” He is on the Board of Governors for the San Diego chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and is a barrister in the Honorable J. Clifford Wallace Chapter of the American Inns of Court. Mr. O’Connor is also a licensed private pilot.
Mr. O’Connor received his B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, in 1998 and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2001. During law school, he worked in the Aviation & Admiralty, Torts Branch, Civil Division U.S. Department of Justice and was an extern for the Honorable James F. Stiven, U.S. magistrate judge for the Southern District of California.
