Milwaukee litigator, 74, dies

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A long-time Milwaukee attorney known for litigating a state law involving manufacturers and their distributors has died.

Bruce O’Neill, 74, died Monday after having been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis less than a year ago, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, causes muscle and respiratory failure.

O’Neill, a Marquette Law School graduate, was a shareholder at Fox, O’Neill & Shannon. He joined the firm in 1969 after having been an assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County.

O’Neill specialized in civil commercial litigation and complex family-law cases. He was known for winning, in 1979, one of the first published decisions involving Wisconsin’s Fair Dealership Law. The case established a way for state manufacturers and suppliers to resolve grievances with distributors.

O’Neill had also been a Milwaukee County Court Commissioner since 1995.

He enjoyed baseball and poetry.