California Fellow Frances M. O'Meara is a partner of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP in Los Angeles. She devotes her practice primarily to the defense of lawyers, accountants, architects, insurance agents, and real estate brokers and appraisers in professional malpractice actions and malicious prosecution claims. She advises attorneys and law firms on legal professional and ethics issues, and issues relating to risk management and loss control. Ms. O’Meara has worked directly with major insurance carriers throughout the United States as well as with non-insured attorneys. Ms. O’Meara also has extensive experience in commercial litigation with an emphasis in fidelity, fiduciary and surety claims investigation and litigation. Her clients in this area have included large corporations and financial institutions.

In addition to her professional liability practice, Ms. O’Meara also has substantial experience in the area of employment litigation, including discrimination claims, employment contracts, and retaliation and sexual harassment claims. She also handles fidelity and bond matters throughout the State of California.

Ms. O'Meara joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in January 2004. She is a past member of the firm’s Executive Committee and is Chair of Hinshaw’s Diversity Committee. She is also the Chair of the firm's Professional Lines specialty group. Previously, Ms. O'Meara was a partner with Haight Brown & Bonesteel LLP. 

She is a member of the Steering Committee of the Professional Liability Committee, which is a part of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association. She is a member of the California State Bar Association. Ms. O’Meara is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association (SCCLA) and a board member of the Association of Southern California Defense Council (ASCD). Ms. O’Meara is also the Diversity Liaison for the Defense Research Institute (DRI) and a member of the Steering Committee for DRI’s Professional Responsibility & Ethics Committee (PRRC).

In 2008, Ms. O’Meara was accepted as a Fellow to the Litigation Counsel of America.

Ms. O’Meara has been rated by Martindale-Hubbell for ethics and legal ability.

Publications and Presentations

Ms. O'Meara is a co-editor of Hinshaw’s “Professional Lines” newsletter. She is a co-author of a chapter, “Miscellaneous Claims,” in the 3rd edition of Architect and Engineer Liability, published in 2006.

Ms. O’Meara’s publications also include:

  • “ Welcome to the Hottest Trap for Unwary Real Estate Brokers & Lawyers!” Hinshaw newsletter The Professional Line, June 2009.
  • “ Facebook’s Flipside,” co-author, Los Angeles Daily Journal, June 15, 2009.
  • “Insurance Agents or Brokers: If You Are Sued, These are the Top 10 Questions Your Attorney Will Ask You – Also, Top 10 Tips to Avoid Attorneys Altogether,” co-author, Commentary,  Mealey’s Litigation Report: Insurance Broker Liability, Vol 3, #6, August 2007.
  • "Avoiding Disqualification: Be Sure You're the Right Expert for the Case," co-author, The Witness Chair.


Ms. O’Meara speaks regularly on the topic of risk management, professional liability and ethics. Her presentations include:

  • “Accounting Malpractice – New California Decision that Impacts Accounting Malpractice Litigation,” California Society of CPA’s, Los Angeles, California, September 2009.
  • “Mediation,” OneBeacon Insurance Company seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 2009.
  • “Diversity in Law Firms: Strategies for Attorney Career Growth for Minorities and Women,” Beverly Hills Bar Association, Los Angeles, California, May 2009.
  • “Beyond the Basics – Selecting and Using Expert Witnesses,” Hinshaw’s annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2009.
  • “So You Think You Know Your Ethics?” Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, Los Angeles, California, December 2008.
  • “E-Discovery,” Liberty International Underwriters, Los Angeles, California, November 2008.
  • “Ten Ethical Evils in the Model Legal Era,” OneBeacon Insurance seminar, Las Vegas, Nevada, June 2008.
  • “Ten Ethical Evils in the Model Legal Age: You know you’re in trouble when . . .,” Iranian American Bar Association, Los Angeles, California, May 2008.
  • “So You Think You Know Your Ethics?,” American Legal Administrators (ALA) Greater Chapter of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, April 2008.
  • “Estate Planning – Being Sued by Persons You Never Met for Things Your Client Did Not Ask You to Do,” Hinshaw’s annual Legal Malpractice & Risk Management conference, Chicago, Illinois, February 2008.
  • “Insurance Liability Policy and Handling Claims, American Legal Administrators, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 2008.
  • “Insurance E&O Policy and Risk Management,” Santa Barbara County Bar Association, Santa Barbara, California, August 2007.
  • “Legal Trailblazers – Panel of Firsts,” Defense Research Institute’s Second Annual Diversity Seminar, “Diversity for Success,” Chicago, Illinois, June 2007.
  • "Using Client Secrets – Reconciling the Duty of Confidentiality with a Lawyer's Right to Defend Himself or Others," State Bar Ethics Symposium, Santa Clara, California, May 2006.
  • “Arbitrating Legal Malpractice Claims – When Desirable and Enforceable,” Hinshaw’s “Legal Malpractice & Risk Management” conference, Chicago, Illinois, March 2006.
  • “Potential ‘Pitt-Falls’ for the Family Law Practitioner,” Hinshaw’s “Legal Malpractice & Risk Management” conference, Chicago, Illinois, February 2005.