david a. o'neal

David O'Neal is a former federal prosecutor, who defends companies and individuals in high-stakes federal investigations, False Claims Act litigation against the government and whistleblowers, and complex civil litigation. He is one of the few defense attorneys in the nation that has prosecuted criminal fraud cases and pursued civil False Claims Act investigations and litigation on behalf of the United States. He also has deep experience related to enforcement under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), and state regulations related to the dispensing and diversion of narcotics and other dangerous drugs. This experience allows David to provide careful, thoughtful advice to clients facing their most difficult challenges.

Over more than a decade as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, David developed a strong reputation for handling some of the most important fraud matters in the country, with an emphasis on healthcare fraud matters. As a criminal prosecutor and trial lawyer, he handled a wide variety of significant and high profile criminal fraud cases, including matters involving healthcare fraud, the Anti-Kickback Statute, mortgage fraud, investment fraud, and money laundering. David also served as the Opioid Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office and investigated and convicted doctors and pharmacists for criminal dispensing of dangerous opioid drugs.

David's criminal prosecution experience came on the heels of his years in the Civil Division, where he investigated and litigated False Claims Act cases against healthcare providers, pharmacies, banks, and others, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for taxpayers. He was also responsible for some of the largest recoveries in the DOJ’s history under the civil penalty provisions of the Controlled Substances Act. Prior to his government service, David practiced at an AmLaw 50 firm where he represented corporations and executives in high stakes securities fraud class actions and other shareholder litigation, SEC investigations, and False Claims Act litigation.

David currently serves as a member of the State Bar of Georgia's Disciplinary Rules and Procedures Committee, which considers all procedural and substantive disciplinary rules affecting lawyers barred in Georgia.