Personal Attention, Professional Results

Civil case? Contract dispute? Auto fraud? Harassed by debt collectors? Lemon vehicle? Reach out to the O’Neal Law Office.

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John O’Neal

ATTORNEY AT LAW

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Biography

Having practiced law in North Carolina continuously since 1996, Attorney John O'Neal has handled a wide variety of cases statewide including but not limited to personal injury, wrongful death, harassing and unfair debt collection, auto dealer fraud and lemon law and other vehicle (new and used) issues, wrongful repossession, junk e-mails and faxes, robocalls and junk texts, construction defects, breach of contract, civil litigation, and traffic tickets. He handles cases under the FDCPA, TILA, FCRA, North Carolina Debt Collection Act and North Carolina Collection Agency Act, North Carolina Retail Installment Sales Act, and a myriad of other consumer statutes and related laws. He has handled cases across the State of North Carolina in state and federal courts and is admitted in all three federal district courts in North Carolina.

Education

  • University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
    • J.D. - 1996
  • University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina
    • B.A., Political Science - 1993
    • Honors: Charter Member, Pi Sigma Alpha (Political Science Honor Society)

Classes & Seminars

  • Identifying Good Cases, North Carolina Association of Trial Lawyers, 2006
  • Disbursing Client Money, North Carolina Association of Trial Lawyers, 2003
  • Walking the Minefield: Blowup Prevention & Damage Control for Non-Consumer Lawyers, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, February 2013
  • Dealers, Deals, and Money, North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), June 2015
  • Don't Know? Better Know! Know Better: Consumer Law for All, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, June 2014
  • Case Intakes: Identifying Good Cases and Ethically Dispensing With the Rest, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, June 2014
  • How to Steer a Vehicle (Case), Law to the People, April 2015
  • Dealing with Debt Collectors: Tips, Tactics, and Tidbits, Law to the People, September 2016
  • The Other Side of the V: Lessons for Dealing with Opposing Counsel, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, June 2016
  • Poacher or Proper: Debt Collection Issues in Disbursements, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, February 2017
  • Consumer Law: What, Why Me, and How, Law to the People, January 2019
  • Issue Spotting in Used Vehicle Cases, Legal Aid of North Carolina, November 2019
  • Buying In: Adding Consumer Law to Your Practice, Law People USA, December 2020
  • Consultations, Client Expectations, Case Management, and Common Damages, National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA), Auto Fraud Track of 2021 Spring Training
  • Co-Chair for Auto Fraud Track of 2023 NACA Spring Training
  • Auto Fraud, Law People USA, August 2023
  • Chapter 75: Awarding Attorney's Fees in UDAP Cases, NCAJ, Feb 2024
  • Planning Committee Member for first-ever Solar Track at Spring Training, NACA, Spring 2024
  • ABCs of Solar Fraud, NACA, CRLC Fall 2024
  • From Day One to T(rial) One: Building a Comprehensive Trial Plan, NACA, CRLC Fall 2024
  • Pumping the Brakes: A Primer on Auto Fraud, Orange County Bar Association (Chapel Hill, NC), February 2025
  • Co-Chair for Solar Track of NACA 2025 Spring Training
  • Intake in Solar Cases, NACA, 2025 Spring Training

Pro-Bono Activities

  • Volunteer Attorney, Womens' Resource Center, 2004 to Present
  • Founding Member, Abogados y Amigos Community Group, Greensboro, 2001 to 2007

Past Positions

  • Donaldson & Black, P.A., Associate Attorney, 2000 to 2005
  • Joel G. Bowden Law Offices, Associate Attorney, 1997 to 2000

Professional Associations

  • Current member National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)
  • Former member NCAJ/North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
  • Former member North Carolina Bar Association

Current Employment Position

  • Sole Practitioner

Practice Areas

  • Consumer Law (Unfair and harassing debt Collection, Car law, Wrongful repossessions, Credit reporting violations, illegal phone calls/texts)
  • Vehicle Law (Lemon Law, Odometer Disclosure, Title/tag/registration issues, Financing fraud)
  • Civil Litigation (State and Federal Courts)
  • Contracts and Business Law
  • Traffic Tickets

Bar Admissions

  • North Carolina, 1996
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina

Honors

  • Business North Carolina's 2007 Legal Elite, 2007
  • 2007 North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers Ebby Award (for dedicated service)
  • 2012 NC Advocates for Justice Ebby Award
  • 2026 FindLaw North Carolina SuperLawyer

Representative Cases