About Us
About Peter O’Neill
Peter O'Neill is the son of Lieutenant General John W. O'Neill (USAF retired). Due to Mr. O'Neill's father's service to our country, Mr. O'Neill moved throughout the country as a young man until his father's retirement. Mr. O'Neill's family settled in Severna Park, Maryland, where Mr. O'Neill attended and graduated from Severna Park High School. Upon graduation from Severna Park High School, Mr. O'Neill attended and later graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science Degree in finance. While attending the University of Maryland, Mr. O'Neill was on the Dean's List, and he became a member of the Student Judicial Board. He was also a member of the Phi delta Theta fraternity.
Upon graduating from the University of Maryland, Mr. O'Neill was then accepted into the University of Baltimore School of Law. While attending the University of Baltimore School of Law Mr. O'Neill was selected as one of the school's representatives to participate in the trial court/moot court program. Mr. O'Neill along with three other law students represented the University of Baltimore in a competition against other law schools in the trial advocacy program.
Mr. O'Neill's passion for trial work continued after his graduation from law school and he accepted a position as a criminal defense attorney with the state of Maryland. While working full time for the State of Maryland as a criminal defense attorney, Mr. O'Neill opened up his own practice with his brother Michael Joseph O'Neill, Esquire, handling numerous civil litigation matters. As Mr. O'Neill's practice continued to grow, he decided to venture out and form a partnership with his current partner Harold B. Murnane, Esquire. Mr. O'Neill and Mr. Murnane have been practicing in the Anne Arundel County area for the past 38 years. In fact, the law firm of Murnane & O'Neill is one of the oldest existing law firms in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
After practicing law for 20 years, Mr. O'Neill elected to focus his attention exclusively on the handling of criminal defense cases and serious traffic cases. During his career as a Criminal Defense Attorney, Mr. O'Neill has represented over 20,000 clients in both misdemeanor and felony cases.
Mr. O'Neill has been recognized by Baltimore magazine on 11 separate occasions as a super lawyer. In addition, Mr. O'Neill was appointed by Governors O'Malley and Erlich to the trial court's nomination Commission for Anne Arundel County Maryland. Most recently, Governor Moore appointed Mr. O'Neill to be a member of the appellate nomination Commission for the State of Maryland.
Mr. O'Neill has also been on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Criminal Defense Lawyers Association for the past 20 years. Outside of the practice of the law, Mr. O'Neill has been a volunteer at his church (Light House) located in Glen Burnie, MD and has further volunteered on numerous occasions to be a guest speaker for individuals pursuing their wear/carry license in the State of Maryland.
Mr. O'Neill's criminal practice has included successfully representing clients charged with driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, theft, assault, simple possession of drugs, felony possession of drugs, sex offenses, murder, rape, child pornography as well as numerous other criminal and traffic related offenses.
Mr. O'Neill's reputation as a fierce litigator is reflected in the results that he has obtained for his clients over the years. He offers personal services to clients to meet their needs and his staff is eager to assist and providing excellent representation for those charged with both criminal and serious traffic offenses.
Mr. O'Neill believes in being available and having access to his clients both during and after normal business hours as well as weekends. His commitment to providing excellent legal representation to his clients is unmatched.
About Michael T. Ott
Michael joined the Office of Peter O’Neill in the fall of 2017. Since then, he has handled
thousands of complex misdemeanor and felony cases, advocating on behalf of a diverse range of clients. Known for his unwavering tenacity and keen attention to detail, Michael
approaches each case with a commitment to providing a strong, thorough defense. Central to his practice is the belief that every individual deserves effective representation. He takes the time to understand each client’s unique circumstances, fostering trust and crafting personalized legal strategies aimed at securing the best possible results. When not in court or the office, Michael enjoys coaching lacrosse, hunting, and spending time
with his wife and two young children.
Education:
University of Baltimore School of Law, 2016 Juris Doctor
- Criminal Law Concentration
- President of the Criminal Law Association, 2016
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, 2011
-Men’s Varsity Lacrosse Team with academic honors
Professional Affiliations:
Maryland State Bar Association, 2017
Anne Arundel County Bar Association
Maryland Criminal Defense Attorneys’ Association
Maryland Shall Issue
Honors:
National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys “Top 10 Under 40 Attorney Award”
What’s Up Annapolis Rising Stars Class of 2025
What’s Up Annapolis Leading Lawyers 2022-2023
Avvo Clients’ Choice Award
