Speaker Profile

Connell O’Neill, a registered foreign lawyer (NSW) in Hong Kong and a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, head of the firm’s technology practice in Asia, advises clients throughout APAC and the Middle East on corporate and commercial transactions, privacy and cybersecurity, product counselling, and commercial intellectual property matters in the information technology, media and telecommunications sectors. Connell has been a key advisor on many major matters across APAC and the Middle East, including in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, UAE and elsewhere, and has provided strategic commercially-sensitive advice to clients on a range of complex and emerging topics.

Connell regularly advises emerging and established businesses on major transformative transactions and assists his clients on navigating legal complexity when pursuing digital strategies whether as a traditional industry incumbent or disruptive challenger. This focus has seen Connell advise on many market firsts in the areas of blockchain, autonomous vehicle technologies, information infrastructure and digital marketplaces. He is also very active across the fintech ecosystem and has assisted clients on the launch of many innovative fintech platforms.

Connell is recognized as a leading lawyer and notable practitioner for his work in the TMT sector by Chambers Greater China Region. He is ranked in the TMT: Telecommunications & Broadcasting and TMT: Information Technology guides, in which interviewed clients praise that Connell is “attentive, responsive and has good industry knowledge of the telecoms sector.”, “is an outstanding lawyer and we always know that we will get the best result when we brief him in our matters.”, and that he “is a star and one of the key success factors in us getting this transaction pulled together when it was hanging by a thread.” He is also recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific  which notes Connell’s practice is “unique as they have a deep understanding and knowledge on acquisition, implementation, maintenance and managed services for technology.” One client was quoted saying “Connell O’Neill is a knowledgeable professional with excellent work ethics,” with another saying, “I find him to be an expert in terms of technology acquisition, implementation, maintenance and managed services consulting. He has deep knowledge, is passionate and very innovative. He has a deep understanding of risks involved and its mitigations.” Connell has also been named in ALB‘s Super 50 TMT Lawyers 2024 and ALB‘s Asia Top 15 TMT Lawyers 2023.

Connell’s counselling practice focuses on complex and emerging topics such as cybersecurity and data privacy, where he is able to draw on his technical computer science background to quickly deliver valuable client insights and identify risk. In the 2021 edition of Global Data Review’s  GDR 100 Elite, a list of the world’s top 20 data practices, it was noted that “Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher appears to have the strongest practice overall,” with Connell listed as a leading individual in the Asia Pacific region.

Connell graduated from the Australian National University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Information Technology (Computer Systems) and a Bachelor of Laws (with Honors). He received a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice of the College of Law, Sydney in 2008.