Patrick J. O'Neal, Esq.

Winning a Social Security disability claim is rarely straightforward. The SSA denies the majority of initial applications, evidence standards are exacting, and the difference between approval and denial often comes down to how well a case is built and argued. Patrick J. O’Neal, Esq. has spent more than 15 years learning exactly what that takes – attending over 1,000 Administrative Law Judge hearings, authoring more than 2,000 hearing and appellate briefs, and overseeing thousands of active claims through every stage of the process.

Patrick understands disability law from the inside out. He knows how Administrative Law Judges evaluate medical evidence, where claims most often fall short, and what it takes to overcome a denial at the appellate level. That knowledge is not theoretical – it comes from years of standing in hearing rooms, reading SSA decisions, and building the arguments that get clients approved. When you work with Alliant Disability, that expertise is applied directly to your case from day one.

As Legal Director of Case Management, Patrick sets the legal strategy and quality standards for every claim at Alliant. He has previously built and led national disability practices from the ground up – growing active caseloads from the hundreds to the thousands while maintaining the case quality and legal rigor that produce results. His leadership means every claim at Alliant is developed with purpose, pursued aggressively, and never allowed to fall through the cracks.

Patrick’s legal foundation runs deeper than disability law alone. He launched his career as a law clerk for a Louisiana state appellate court judge, where he developed a command of legal reasoning and evidentiary standards. He went on to serve as a Senior Trial Prosecutor handling felony cases – experience that sharpened the courtroom instincts he brings to every ALJ hearing. Few disability attorneys can claim a background that combines appellate-level legal training, trial prosecution, and more than a decade and a half of frontline disability hearing experience.