Kevin O

Kevin O'Neill helps clients develop and implement innovative strategies to navigate federal legislative and executive complexities to achieve their broader business objectives. He has almost 25 years of lobbying experience leading team representations of Fortune 500 corporations, other domestic and foreign corporations, associations, healthcare systems, universities, units of local governments, and foreign sovereigns. Kevin's clients and legislative success span several sectors of the economy, including federal funding, education, transportation and infrastructure, trade, technology, tax and financial services, healthcare, national defense, and foreign affairs. From 2015-2023, Kevin served as the Legislative and Public Policy practice group leader and was instrumental in the practice’s explosive growth during that time. Kevin’s legislative accomplishments for his clients have led him to be one of Washington’s most acclaimed lobbyists, earning “Top Lobbyist” recognition from Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The Hill, and the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics.

Focus Areas

Experience

Client success on key issues in major recent legislation of the last decade, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHiPs Act, the CARES Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and the Tax Cut and Jobs Act.
Substantial client success on recurring Congressional legislation including the annual appropriations bills, the National Defense Authorization Act, the FAA Reauthorization Act, the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, and various surface transportation reauthorizations.
Helped multiple multinational corporations and associations create and implement their federal government relations programs and maximize their influence in Congress on the policy issues that matter most to them.
Advised a Fortune 500 company on a comprehensive strategy to win a key victory in pending recurring authorizing legislation that sets the long-term marketplace conditions for the company.
Counseled a foreign sovereign as it negotiated a new economic and national security treaty with the United States Government, and then helped execute the steps needed to move the agreement through Congress.

Aided a coalition of childcare companies in securing the funding needed to support the industry during the COVID shutdown.
Worked with a live performance coalition to secure billions in new funding to help the industry survive the COVID shutdown.
Counseled a major food producer on how to handle its response to an FDA inquiry on product safety and the subsequent Congressional interest in that case.
Represented multiple clients facing potential Congressional investigations and developed strategies to mitigate the negative impact of such inquiries on future company operations.
Prepared clients to testify before Congress, for non-adversarial and adversarial proceedings.
Secured several billion dollars in federal funding for a variety of projects and programs. Recent examples include:
- Major research projects for social science organizations
- Defense research projects at public and private universities
- Multiple pediatric mental health and infrastructure projects
- Data science innovation hubs for universities
- Research funding for specific medial conditions
- Science research funding for public and private universities
- Infrastructure for units of local government
- Transportation projects for units of local government
- Law enforcement funding for units of local government
- Saving a scientific and higher education association’s major NASA research program scheduled for closing by two successive Presidential Administrations
- Secured numerous appropriations-directed reports to Congress on key policy issues, setting the table for future legislative/regulatory actions across several policy sectors.
Assisted a financial services association implement a long-term strategy for regulatory action related to Dodd-Frank implementation.
Pursued consumer-driven improvements to the Affordable Care Act in support of a medical professional association.
Worked with healthcare systems on legislative reforms to complex care for children.
Helped multiple children’s hospitals preserve and expand federal support of graduate medical education training funds for future pediatricians.
Developed and executed political advocacy and support campaigns for association, corporate and issues-based Political Action Committees.
Kevin is the co-founder and current executive director of the nation's largest bipartisan federal political action committee (PAC) dedicated exclusively to the policy interests of college students and higher education.
In the fall of 2007, Kevin was a candidate for the Republican nomination in a special election in Virginia's First Congressional District.
In 2012, he was a volunteer fundraiser for the Romney-Ryan campaign. In 2004, he was one of the youngest major fundraisers for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.
In 2001, he was part of a team of lawyers that served as legal counsel for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
In December 2013, Kevin was appointed to the Virginia Public Building Authority by Governor Bob McDonnell.