2018 Women in Construction: Nan O’Neill, Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP

Name: Nan O’Neill

Postion: Senior Counsel

Company: Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP

Location: Quincy, MA

Education: Boston College, Georgetown University Law Center

Where did you grow up: suburban Washington, D.C.

How long have you been practicing law? Over 25 years

Area of Practice: labor and employment law

Why did you decide to be a lawyer? In between college and law school, I worked for a large oil company where I supervised union tank truck drivers and other operational employees. My work experience generated an interest in labor law and inspired me to go to law school.

What do you think makes a successful lawyer? Besides intelligence and knowing the law, the key to success is knowing your client’s business, including learning the culture, getting to know the key decision-makers and understanding what drives the business. Armed with this knowledge, a lawyer can give targeted, results-oriented advice in an expeditious manner.

Favorite Novel: George Eliot’s Middlemarch, and Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady.

Hobbies: Reading nonfiction, the classics, and some Russian titles including a reread of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.