- Was in-house corporate counsel of one of Canada’s major investment organizations, including 4 years as General Counsel of publicly-traded company
- Over 35 years’ experience in Canadian securities law including in the area of investment funds and dealing with multiple securities and financial services regulators
- Preparing prospectuses and other offering documents and related materials
- Lead counsel on re-organizations of start-up companies including the issuance of shares
- Lead counsel advising client with respect to institutional investment management agreement
- Assisted lead counsel in connection with complex real estate development
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Don MacDonald
Lawyer
(he/him) Don has extensive experience in securities and corporate law with clients and regulators throughout Canada.
Contact Info
Contact
Anna Spezzano (Assistant)
Biography
Don was with one of Canada’s leading financial services firms for 25 years where he held various senior legal roles, including Senior Vice-President, General Counsel, Secretary and Chief Compliance Officer. While his primary focus was on corporate and securities law, his roles within the company involved him in a multitude of legal areas including litigation, contracts, regulatory matters, M&A, and quasi-legal matters including enterprise risk management, crisis response and strategic initiatives. As a public company, Don’s advice included TSX rules, all manner of disclosure issues and insider reporting.
Prior to his in-house experience, Don was a lawyer with The Manitoba Securities Commission and held multiple roles with the last being Deputy Director, Registrations and Enforcement. Don was responsible for reviewing offering documentation and disclosure materials, had conduct over prosecutions and administrative proceedings, and provided legal opinions and other general legal work.
Don has always given a lot of time to the legal, securities industry and volunteer communities as he views it as a responsibility to help others when you can.
Don teaches the Securities Law Course at the Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba.
Admissions and Education
- ICD.D, Institute of Corporate Directors, 2020
- Admitted to the Manitoba Bar, 1984
- LL.B., University of Manitoba, 1983
Practice Areas
Industries
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- Author, Pitblado.com Article, “Conflict of Interest Provisions for Securities Registrants in Effect as of June 30, 2021”, March 1, 2021
- Co-Presenter (with Niall Nazarko and Julia Ryckman), Canadian Corporation Counsel Association – Manitoba Bar Association, “Tips and Traps Governance Issues Edition”, February 22, 2021
- Presenter, Pitblado University, “Securities 101”, February 18, 2021
- Author, Pitblado COVID-19 Resource Centre, “Governance and Risk Management“, June 1, 2020
- Co-Author (with Matthew Duffy), Pitblado COVID-19 Resource Centre, “Game On (Or Not)! – COVID-19 and Sporting Events & Other Events“, June 1, 2020
- Author, Pitblado COVID-19 Resource Centre, “COVID-19 and the Not-For-Profit Sector“, May 15, 2020
- Author, Pitblado COVID-19 Resource Centre, “Exemption from Physical Signature Requirement for Real Estate Listings, Offers and Acceptances”, April 27, 2020
- Chair, Manitoba Chapter Executive, Institute of Corporate Directors
- Chair, Manitoba Bar Association, Securities Law Section
- Past Member of Policy Committee of the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance
- Past Member of Multiple Committees and Working Groups of Investment Funds Institute of Canada
- Member of Working Group of Members of the Canadian Bar Association and Auditing and Assurance Standards Board which substantially revised the Joint Policy Statement for Communications with Law Firms Regarding Claims and Possible Claims in Connection with the Preparation and Audit of Financial Statements
- Canadian Bar Association
- Manitoba Bar Association
- Investors Group President’s Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award, 2007
- Western Canada General Counsel Lifetime Achievement Award, 2013
- Golf Manitoba Distinguished Service Award, 2014
- Manitoba Bar Association Access to Justice Award (shared with two colleagues), 2015
- Director, Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Inc.
- Member, United Way Winnipeg 2024 Major Donor Cabinet
- Director, Seven Oaks Hospital Chronic Disease Innovation Centre Inc.
- Chair, Golf Canada Amateur Status Committee
- Member, Research Committee, CancerCare Manitoba
- President, Manitoba Golf Hall of Fame and Museum Inc.
- Director, Golf Manitoba Scholarship Fund Inc.
- Director, Seven Oaks General Hospital
- Past Board Member:
– CancerCare Manitoba
– Sport Manitoba
– Golf Manitoba