Connell O’Neill, a Registered Foreign Lawyer (NSW) in Hong Kong and a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, advises clients throughout the Asia Pacific region on corporate and commercial transactions with a particular focus on the information technology, media and telecommunications sectors.

Mr. O’Neill regularly advises emerging and established businesses on major transformative transactions in relation to the challenges presented by contemporary laws on the disruptive business models of the future. He has been a key advisor on many major transactions across the APAC region, including in Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere, and has provided strategic commercially sensitive advice to clients on a range of complex and emerging topics.

Mr. O’Neill has a particular focus on transactions involving technology driven transformation and regularly advises his clients on navigating legal complexity when pursuing digital strategies whether as a traditional industry incumbent or disruptive challenger. This focus has seen Mr. O’Neill advise on many market firsts in the areas of blockchain, autonomous vehicle technologies and digital marketplaces. He is also very active across the fintech ecosystem and has assisted clients on the launch of many innovative fintech platforms.

Mr. O’Neill’s counselling practice focuses on complex and emerging topics such as cybersecurity and data privacy, where he is able to draw on his technical computer science background to quickly deliver valuable client insights and identify risk. In the 2021 edition of Global Data Review’s GDR 100 Elite, a list of the world’s top 20 data practices, it was noted that “Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher appears to have the strongest practice overall,” with Mr. O’Neill listed as a leading individual in the Asia Pacific region. His expertise in advising on large and complex deals in the Philippines has been recognized by Legal 500 Asia Pacific and his knowledge of the TMT sector in Australia and throughout the Asia Pacific region has been recognized by Chambers Asia Pacific.

Mr. O’Neill graduated from the Australian National University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer Systems) and a Bachelor of Laws (with Honors). He received a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice of the College of Law, Sydney in 2008.