CPLED Board
CPLED President
Don Thompson, Q.C.
A leader in local and national affairs involving the legal profession, Don Thompson joined the Law Society of Alberta in 1999 as the Deputy Executive Director, and was appointed Executive Director in 2001. He leads over 80 employees in two major Canadian cities.
Don’s leadership skills have been exemplified through his work in streamlining business processes that meet local, provincial and national demands of customers, partners and key stakeholders in the legal profession. His passion for an accountable, responsive and proactive association has lead to many successful initiatives that have raised the profile of the Law Society of Alberta, and Alberta’s legal profession in general.
Don has also been a leader on the national stage through his involvement with the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, playing an instrumental role in developing the National Mobility Agreement, which provides for Canadian lawyers to work, almost unconditionally, in other Canadian provinces. He has been an author, presenter and facilitator at national and international conferences and organizations. His work has included professional competence, national and international lawyer mobility, and governance of the legal profession.
Don’s career spans more than 20 years of association management. Before joining the Law Society of Alberta, Don held a number of senior positions at the Law Society of British Columbia, most notably as Deputy Executive Director, where his talents were instrumental in implementing an advanced technology aimed at providing a high service, fully integrated membership resource program, the first of its kind in Canada.
Don holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Society of Association Executives. He received his Queen’s Counsel in 2004.
Paul F. Wood joined the CPLED board of the Legal Education Society of Alberta (LESA) January 1, 2008, following the retirement of Hugh A. Robertson, Q.C.
Paul has been with LESA for the past 18 years, most recently as Director, Continuing Education. Paul is a Past-President of the International Association for Continuing Legal Education, having served on its Executive Committee from 2000 through 2006. He looks forward to the challenge of meeting the continuing professional development needs of lawyers and their staff in Alberta as well as those of students enrolled in the CPLED program. back to top
Douglas Bedford, A. B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., M.A., M.B.A.
Doug was called to the Bar in Manitoba in 1982 after articling with the Winnipeg firm of Tupper & Adams. He practiced with Tupper & Adams from 1982 through 2002 (latterly as a partner from 1987 to 2002). His practice focused over the years in civil litigation with particular emphasis in the field of insolvency law. In December 2002, he joined the legal department of Manitoba Hydro and continues to be employed there. He was first elected a Bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba in April 1994 and was re-elected in subsequent years. In May 2007, he was elected President of the Law Society of Manitoba. He is now a Life Bencher of the Law Society and as such a member of its Discipline Committee.
Doug served as a member over the years on various committees of the Law Society. Since finishing his term as President, he has served as Vice Chairperson of the Special Committee on Access to Justice and continues to be the Law Society designate to the Electronic Courts Committee and the Legal Data Resources Corporation.
Doug is a member of the Advocates Society of Manitoba, a past director of the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties and a member of the Canadian Bar Association. He is an occasional lecturer on legal topics in the field of insolvency law, builders’ liens, civil litigation and legal ethics. He is an enthusiastic piper who has an avid interest in almost anything historical. back to top
Thomas Schonhoffer, Q.C. joined the Law Society of Saskatchewan in 1994 as Counsel for Saskatchewan Lawyers’ Insurance Association Inc. (SLIA). In 2007, he was appointed Executive Director of the Law Society of Saskatchewan and leads a vibrant and energetic group of Benchers, Law Society staff and members of the legal profession in Saskatchewan.
Tom’s management style is proactive and since his appointment as Executive Director, he has made substantial internal changes to the structure of the Society. The many changes and efficiencies have resulted in improved internal operations, leaving more time to consider the substantive issues which will guide and shape the future of the legal profession in Saskatchewan.
Tom sits on many Advisory Boards and Committees and has been an active member of the Canadian Bar Association throughout his legal career. He holds a special interest in legal education as it relates to professional competence, loss prevention and risk management. He has made numerous presentations for the Canadian Bar Association, Saskatchewan Legal Education and for the CPLED Bar Admission Program. Tom is a very welcome addition to the CPLED Board.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University in Ontario, as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts from the University of Regina in Saskatchewan. Tom received his Queen’s Counsel designation in 2005. He is an Honorary member of the Law Society of Alberta. back to top
Brenda Silver joined the board in January 2009 following her appointment as Director of Professional Education and Competence at the Law Society of Manitoba in December 2008. Prior to her appointment, she was Deputy Director of Professional Education for the Law Society of Manitoba. Since 2004 she has had primary responsibility for the development and delivery of the Manitoba CPLED Program. From 2002-2004 she was Acting Director of Professional Education with primary responsibility for the previous bar admission course in Manitoba. Brenda has also been involved in developing and delivering continuing legal education programs for Manitoba lawyers.
Brenda is an active member of the Association of Canadian Legal Education Directors and of the international Association of Continuing Legal Education. back to top
Eric J. Neufeld, Q.C.
Eric joined the board in 2010 as a representative of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. He was admitted to the Law Society in 1975 and has practiced in the province ever since. After spending the better part of ten years in private practice, primarily in civil and criminal litigation, Eric joined the Public Prosecution Division of Saskatchewan Justice in 1985. He served as a Crown prosecutor and later, as a Senior Crown, was director of economic crime prosecutions in Southern Saskatchewan until 1998. In 1999, after a secondment to the Federal Prosecution Service as counsel to the newly formed Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit, Eric returned to Saskatchewan Justice as Director of Special Projects at the Head Office of Public Prosecutions. In 2001 he transferred to the Federal Prosecution service (now the Public Prosecution Service of Canada) returning to the IPOC Unit as in-house counsel. In 2009 he was seconded to the R.C.M.P. Proceeds of Crime Branch as subject matter expert in the development and delivery of both online and classroom training for financial crime investigators.
In addition to many years of civil and criminal litigation both at the trial and appellate levels including the Supreme Court of Canada, Eric has an enviable reputation as a gifted teacher. He has demonstrated a passion for creating and delivering law enforcement training across Canada. Eric has developed his skills presenting on criminal law topics for the Saskatchewan Police College, the RCMP’s National Learning Services, the Law Society, the PPSC and the Canada Revenue Agency. In addition to his operational and training duties, Eric has served as a member of the National Wiretap Experts Group and co-chair of a police training review committee of the Federal Provincial Territorial Heads of Prosecution. He participated as a panelist and facilitator in the ethics portion of several of Saskatchewan’s bar admission courses. Eric has also facilitated segments of the online bar admission course, the first time in its pilot phase.
Eric holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saskatchewan. He received his Queen’s Counsel designation in 1996. back to top
