MOUNT PLEASANT ATTORNEY Dennis E. O’Neill is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Following completion of parochial schools in Charleston, he graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1975 (BA: History) and from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1978 (JD). He was admitted to the South Carolina Bar on November 8, 1978, and has also been admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia and the United States Supreme Court. For 36 years, Mr. O’Neill has counseled and represented clients in the private practice of law, with the following areas of emphasis: A. GENERAL PRACTICE: Dennis E. O’Neill has counseled and represented thousands of clients in Charleston County and throughout the State of South Carolina in relation to a wide variety of legal matters, including: Adoptions, Appeals, Business Formations, Corporations, Divorce, Child Custody, Commercial and Residential Real Estate, Construction Defect Claims, Contract Preparation, Probate, Estates, Wills and Estate Administration, Mortgage Foreclosure, Zoning, Land Planning and Land Use, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, Products Liability Claims and in various other legal matters. B. CRIMINAL DEFENSE: Dennis E. O’Neill has extensive experience in Criminal Defense. He served as part-time Public Defender in the city of Charleston and also as part-time Prosecutor for the County of Charleston, prosecuting cases in Magistrates and Municipal Courts throughout Charleston County. Mr. O’Neill defended his first Murder case in 1979. Since that time, he has defended in jury trials, bench trials and negotiated pleas, individuals charged in State and Federal courts with a wide variety of Criminal Offenses, including Murder, Murder for Hire, Armed Robbery, Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill (ABWIK), Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature (ABHN), Bank Robbery, Kidnapping, Distribution of Heroin, Lynching, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, Home Invasion, Felony DUI and numerous other criminal offenses. C. CIVIL LITIGATION: Dennis E. O’Neill has been engaged in the trials of Civil Cases, primarily representing Plaintiffs/Claimants since 1978. He has served as lead counsel, co-counsel and associated counsel in a wide variety of cases, including Automobile Accident trials, Products Liability, Premises Liability and Defective Product cases, and other Personal Injury claims. Additionally, he has represented clients in the trials of Contested Divorces, Contested Wills and Estates, as well as Custody and Visitation cases. Mr. O’Neill has represented General Contractors in the trials of Contested Mechanic’s Liens Collection suits and represented Homeowners in the defense of Mechanic’s Liens cases and, has represented Homeowners in trials of Defective Construction claims against General Contractors and Subcontractors. In 2005, Mr. O’Neill was selected for membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates (www.ABOTA.org), a peer-elected professional organization comprised of less than 5 percent of nation’s trial attorneys who display skill, civility and integrity. The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) works to promote, protect and preserve your right to a civil jury trial. D. REAL ESTATE: Dennis E. O’Neill is a real estate Broker, licensed by the state of South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation for more than 30 years. He created a course, which was approved for instruction by SCLLR in Continuing Education for licensed Real Estate Agents. Although Mr. O’Neill is Broker-in-Charge of a real estate agency, he does not actively list, buy, or sell real estate for others and limits his activities in this regard to personal and family transactions. Mr. O’Neill has maintained an active real estate closing practice for 36 years. He is a licensed Title Insurance Agent, and is President and founder of Seabrook Island Title Agency, Inc. Mr. O’Neill and Seabrook Island Title Agency, Inc., have successfully closed thousands of real estate transactions, involving more than a billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) in sales transactions, primarily in the Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms and Wild Dunes communities. Mr. O’Neill is the founder of Tax-Free Exchange Services, which provides 1031 Tax-Free Exchange Intermediary Services for Tax-Free Exchanges and Reverse-Tax Free Exchanges. Mr. O’Neill has also served as an Expert Witness in lawsuits pertaining to broker/agent responsibilities in the listing, sale and closing of Residential Real Estate Transactions, as well as on behalf of Closing Attorneys in lawsuits resulting from allegations of attorney error in residential real estate closing transactions. E. MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION: Approximately 25 years ago, Mr. O’Neill was selected by the Chief Administrative Judge of Ninth Judicial Circuit to be among the first group of 25 mediators to be trained for that purpose in Charleston County. Mr. O’Neill served as chairman of The Committee of The Charleston County Bar Association to establish a Mediation pilot project in Charleston County. Mr. O’Neill is a Board-Certified Mediator and a Board-Certified Arbitrator. He is also certified as a Mediator by the U.S. District Court, Charleston District. Mr. O’Neill has conducted hundreds of mediations and arbitrations, primarily in areas of Personal Injury, Products and Premises Liability, and Real Estate. Mr. O’Neill is also an approved Mediator by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors (CTAR), which has adopted contract forms requiring mediation of all disputes arising out of CTAR transactions. F. JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE: Dennis E. O’Neill was first appointed to serve as Associate Judge of Mount Pleasant Municipal Court in 1983. He served as Associate or Chief Judge of the Mount Pleasant Municipal Court in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, until 1990. Since that time, he has also served as Associate Judge of the Municipal Court of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, and as special Judge for the Isle of Palms Municipal Court, on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina. In his capacity as Municipal Judge, Mr. O’Neill has presided over, either at a bench or jury trial, thousands of misdemeanor cases, including cases of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), Simple Possession, Minor in Possession, Reckless Driving, Speeding, Criminal Domestic Violence (CDV), Simple Assault and many other offenses. Mr. O’Neill has served as a special Circuit Court Judge for the Court of Common Pleas for the Ninth Judicial (Charleston and Berkeley Counties) by appointment. His ruling and written opinion in the case of Gordon vs. Colonial Insurance Company of California was affirmed by the Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court by opinion dated May 8, 2000, cited as 342 SC 158,365S.E.2d 376. In April 2000, Mr. O’Neill was sworn in as Chief Judge of the Seabrook Island Municipal Court, Seabrook Island, South Carolina, and has served in that capacity since that date. In April 2012, he began his fourth four-year term as Chief Judge. NOTE: Because of his position as Judge of Seabrook Island Municipal Court, Mr. O’Neill does not counsel, consult or represent any person charged with any criminal offense arising in the municipality of Seabrook Island, SC, nor appear before any Board or Commission of the Town of Seabrook Island. G. OTHER: Mr. O’Neill has served on the executive Committee of the Charleston County Bar Association. He has lectured on Ethics at Continuing Education Seminars conducted by Charleston County Bar Association. He taught Business Law and Criminal Procedure at the Trident Technical College located in North Charleston, SC. He served as Chairman of the Sullivan’s Island Election Commission and on the community relations Boards of both First Citizens Bank and Trust and Carolina First Bank. He is a Life Fellow of South Carolina Bar Foundation. He is a member of various religious, civic and social organizations in the Charleston and Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, communities.
DUI ATTORNEY IN CHARLESTON Driving Under The Influence (DUI) Mr. O’Neill has prosecuted, defended and presided over hundreds and hundreds of DUI cases. The DUI Law in South Carolina, which is set forth in the South Carolina Code at Section 56-5-2930, et seq. is extremely strict and enforcement is at an all-time high. Being stopped for DUI can result in the administrative suspension of your driver’s license for refusing to take the breath test, if you take the test, for having a result greater than .15 percent. Additionally, a conviction for DUI can result in a long-term suspension of your driving privileges, substantial fines and the possibility of a jail sentence. If you are charged with DUI, regardless of the apparent hopelessness of the situation do not give up. It is our experience that there is room for improvement in almost every case. Do not attempt to resolve the matter yourself. Contact Dennis E. O’Neill immediately at 843-884-9494. Consequences Of A DUI Arrest DUI laws are constantly changing and have become, more severe in the past 12 months. Even a first-time DUI offense in South Carolina can lead to a fine of up to $1,000, loss of driving privileges and a jail sentence. The penalties greatly increase for subsequent offenses. A second conviction can result in three years imprisonment, and a third offense could lead to a five-year jail sentence and driving license suspension for four years. This does not include the thousands of dollars of fines and other assessments one also pays as a result of a conviction. There are collateral consequences to a DUI conviction as well. College students may lose scholarships. Members of the military may face loss of rank or even discharge from the service. Professionals may lose their licenses. Regardless of the apparent hopelessness of a DUI charge, it is our view that everyone charged with Driving Under the Influence should promptly consult an attorney before making any decisions. There is almost always room for improvement and with 36 years of experience, Mr. O’Neill can assist you in even the most difficult of cases.