O'CONNOR & DYET
7955 South Priest Drive
Tempe, Arizona, USA 85284
602.241.7000

Our Professionals

Daniel J. O’Connor

I was raised in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, which is a small town about 25 miles northwest of Chicago. Of course, it was a lot smaller in the 1960s and 70s. I was one of 10 children, and I grew up playing almost every type of team sport: football, basketball, hockey and baseball. In 1978, shortly before I graduated college, Motorola transferred my father to Phoenix. It was my first visit to Arizona, and I fell in love with its kind people, its amazing culture, and its beautiful desert. Now with two busy children of my own, I am not sure how my parents managed with ten of us! My family spends leisure time boating, hiking, cheering for the Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Suns, and Coyotes, or just enjoying the Sonoran Desert life. I am similarly blessed in my professional life. It may sound corny, but I am honored to be in business with some of the kindest people I have ever met in my life. Each person is dedicated to carrying out our combined mission to serving our clients’ needs, while at the same time supporting each other in our daily lives. Our law firm is an amazing place, and I am fortunate to be a part of it.

Areas of Practice

Trial and appellate practice in personal injury and insurance litigation, including trucking and motor carrier liability, vehicle accident, hotel management liability, premises liability, governmental liability including Section 1983 actions, municipal liability, school liability, elder abuse liability, product liability, declaratory actions, bad faith defense, insurance claims consulting, and insurance-related administrative law.

Trial Experience

Twenty-six jury trials as lead counsel, including trucking/motor carrier liability, vehicle accident, hotel management liability, government liability, Section 1983 actions, premises liability, elder abuse liability, and criminal prosecution.

Memberships & Associations

  • Arizona Association of Defense Counsel (AADC)
  • American Bar Association: Section on Tort and Insurance Law
  • Arizona State Bar Association
  • Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA)
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
  • Defense Research Institute Member (DRI)
  • Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
  • Founding Member of Arizona Diamondback Camper Fund Charity
  • Maricopa County Bar Association
  • Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Pro Tem
  • Trucking Industry Defense Association (TIDA)

Licenses & Admissions

  • State of Arizona, 1985
  • United States District Court for the District of Arizona
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States Supreme Court, 2018

Law

  • John Marshall Law School
  • Juris Doctor, 1984

Undergraduate

  • Illinois Benedictine College
  • Bachelor of Arts, 1978

Presentations

  • Can I Delete This? Record Keeping and Legal Holds in an Electronic Age, sponsored by the Maricopa County Bar Association, February 2016
  • Preventive Law Issue in Construction Defect Litigation, sponsored by the center for International Legal Studies, February 2003
  • Mental Health and the Law in Arizona, sponsored by Medical Education Educational Services, Inc., March 2000
  • Insurance Law: Third Party Coverage in Arizona, sponsored by the National Business Institute, October 1998
  • Disclosure is like a Box of Chocolates, sponsored by the Maricopa County Bar Association, November 1994

Distinctions

AV™ Preeminent® rated by Martindale Hubbell: Represents the highest rating in legal ability and ethical standards