William V. O'Connor

Partner

San Diego, (858) 720-7932

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Education

Univ of CA, San Diego (B.A., 1998)
;
Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., 2001)

Practices

Aviation + Aerospace

Product Liability

Insurance Litigation

Bar Admissions

California

Scores Defense Verdict for Alaska Airlines

William O’Connor’s experience includes aviation, product liability, insurance/reinsurance, toxic tort, and general commercial litigation matters. He has tried jury cases to verdict in federal and state court. His practice involves complex and multidistrict litigation, with an emphasis on aviation and high-stakes insurance defense matters. Mr. O’Connor’s specialties include treaty liability for air carriers under the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions, advice regarding government investigations of major aviation accidents, and case management techniques for mass tort litigation. Mr. O’Connor has represented airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and airports in cases involving major commercial aviation crashes, military and civilian helicopter accidents, and business jet mishaps.

Mr. O’Connor also represents aerospace clients in commercial matters, including airport and aircraft leasing issues, FAA Grant Assurance Obligations, insurance disputes, and product liability prevention and counseling. 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 2012 and 2013, Chambers USA recognized him as an “up and coming” attorney 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 Leadership Development Committee 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 Litigation Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and was an extern for the Honorable James F. Stiven, U.S. Magistrate Judge, U.S. District Court.

Air France 447 Investigation and Litigation

Representing Honeywell International Inc. in litigation arising from the crash of Air France 447. The crash occurred on June 1, 2009, when an Airbus A330-203 went missing over the Atlantic Ocean on a flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Paris, France. All 228 passengers and crew perished in the crash. A successful motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens before Judge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California resulted in the dismissal of all actions in favor of a French forum.

Chinook Helicopter Crash in Afghanistan (Getz v. Honeywell)

Obtained summary judgment based on the government contract defense for Honeywell International Inc. in litigation arising from the crash of an Army special operations Chinook in Afghanistan on February 17, 2007. Eight people died and 14 were injured when the special operations Chinook crashed while returning from a mission pursuing a member of Al Qaeda. In August 2011, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the decision ruling that Honeywell and the other government contractor defendants were not liable for the crash.

Alaska Airlines Flight 694 (Ginena)

Scored a defense verdict for Alaska Airlines in a case brought by a group of first-class passengers who were removed from Alaska Airlines Flight 694 on September 20, 2003. The flight was headed from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Las Vegas but diverted to Reno in order to remove the passengers. We obtained summary judgment of several claims based on the Warsaw Convention, but the remaining claims proceeded to trial. After a three-week trial, the jury of seven returned a unanimous defense verdict on all counts.

Apache Helicopter Crash near Kandahar, Afghanistan (Flanigan v. Honeywell)

Represented Honeywell International Inc. in a lawsuit arising from the July 2, 2006 crash near Kandahar Airbase of a U.S. Army Apache Helicopter, which was responding to a rocket attack on the airbase. The accident resulted in the death of the pilot. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. A favorable de minimis settlement for our client was reached in December 2008.

Apache Helicopter Crash near Tikrit, Iraq (Beltran, Carns v. Honeywell, Chadwick, et al.)

Represented Honeywell International Inc. in litigation arising from the crash of a U.S. Army Apache Longbow Helicopter near Tikrit, Iraq, on August 14, 2003. The accident resulted in serious spinal and other injuries to the two crew members. The cases were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and successfully removed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Extensive discovery, expert witness development, and motion practice led to the settlement of cases by all defendants in early 2007. After the settlement, we obtained full reimbursement, including attorneys' fees, from the predecessor corporation in late 2008.

Flash Airlines Flight 604 Litigation

Representing Honeywell International Inc. in a lawsuit arising out of the crash of a Boeing 737-300, operated as Flash Airlines Flight 604, into the Red Sea off Sharm-El Sheikh, Egypt, on January 3, 2004. The accident resulted in the deaths of 148 passengers and crew. Cases were initially filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by some of the decedents' estates. Along with co-counsel for Boeing, our firm was successful in having the case dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens in favor of a French forum. Approximately 600 plaintiffs then filed actions in a French trial court in Bobigny seeking compensation for the deaths of approximately 130 decedents. Plaintiffs' challenges to the jurisdiction of the French courts, including an appeal to the French supreme court, have been unsuccessful.

Boeing Vertol 107-II Accident near Bella Coola, British Columbia (Ruth v. Honeywell)

Represented Honeywell International Inc. in two wrongful death cases and a related hull loss claim arising out of the crash of a Boeing Vertol 107-II during logging operations near Bella Coola, British Columbia. The aircraft involved in the accident was originally manufactured as a military helicopter for the Swedish military and later re-manufactured for commercial use by a co-defendant. The cases, pending in federal court in Pennsylvania and the courts of British Columbia, were settled on terms favorable to the client.

Airport Runway Design Litigation

Represented the County of San Diego in six consolidated cases in federal court in San Diego arising from the crash of a Cessna Citation 5 jet. The accident occurred during an aborted landing at Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, California, resulting in the death of both pilots and two passengers. Our motion for summary judgment was granted, applying federal preemption to the airport design claims. The decision was one of the most notable and unprecedented rulings in an aviation case in 2008 because of the application of preemption. The cases were dismissed with prejudice, and plaintiffs and codefendants waived their rights of appeal.

Paullus/Grizzly Mountain Aviation et al v. McTurbine, et al.

Represented SKF USA Inc., a bearing manufacturer, in two cases arising from a K-Max helicopter crash on March 17, 2006, during logging operations in Dayville, Oregon. One case involved the wrongful death claims brought by the heirs of the helicopter pilot, Kenneth Graves. The second case involved a hull loss claim brought by the helicopter operator, Grizzly Mountain Aviation. The K-Max helicopters are designed specifically for heavy-lift logging operations. The two cases were consolidated in Nueces County, Texas. After filing a motion for summary judgment, we obtained a nuisance value settlement for SKF USA. (2010)

Alaska Airlines Flight 261

Represented Alaska Airlines in multi-district litigation involving wrongful death and survival claims by heirs and estates of the 88 passengers and crew who perished in the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 on January 31, 2000 near Point Mugu, California. Intensive fact and expert discovery led to a series of successful motions to remove punitive damages from the case, limit theories of recovery against the airline under the Warsaw Convention, stipulate liability to remove potentially harmful evidence from the trials, and prepare and try damages claims. Trial commenced in the MDL court in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, in ten wrongful death cases leading to settlements during trial of all but one of the remaining cases. After remand to the Central District of California and transfer back to the Northern District of California for trial, the remaining case settled.