Donald R. McNeil | Heley, Duncan & Melander

Donald R. McNeil is a successful business trial attorney with over twenty-three years of legal experience. He serves clients with complex litigation needs in a variety of forums including federal and state jury trials, court trials, and arbitration hearings. The main focus of his practice is to collaborate and advise clients on commercial and employment disputes. Donald also represents clients on complex securities matters before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) (previously NASD). He has also presented seven cases before the Minnesota Supreme Court on important and significant legal issues. For the last four years, Law & Politics magazine recognized Donald as one of the Top 40 Business Litigators in Minnesota. Donald is also active on matters that affect children with disabilities and more recently served on the state legislative taskforce that analyzed all special education laws and regulations. Donald graduated third in his law school class before serving as a judicial clerk for the Honorable Mary Jeanne Coyne of the Minnesota Supreme Court. Donald practiced with Popham, Haik, Schnobrich & Kaufman before joining Heley, Duncan & Melander as a partner.

Client Services:

Business Litigation

Competition and Intellectual Property Litigation

Construction Defect Litigation

Securities Fraud and Broker-Dealer Litigation

Employment Litigation

Admitted to Practice:

Minnesota

United States Supreme Court

United States Court of Appeals for Seventh, Eighth and Federal Circuits

United States District Court for District of Minnesota

United States District Court for Western District of Wisconsin

Certifications:

Civil Trial Specialist, as certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association

Professional Activities:

Member, Minnesota State Bar Association

Member, Hennepin County Bar Association

Arbitrator, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

Representative Cases:

P.H.T. Systems v. Tropical Flavors et al., 2006 LEXIS 563 (Minn. Ct. App. 2006) (involving Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act)
Lennon v. Travertine Corp., 683 N.W.2d 267 (Minn. 2004) (involving complex commercial dispute relating to land development in Palm Springs)
SHAL v. Onvoy, 669 N.W.2d 344 (Minn. 2003) (involving complex business arbitration)
Infinity Products v. Premier Plastics, 2004 LEXIS 4784 (8th Cir.) (defense verdict in distributor dispute)
M.S. v. John G. Kinnard & Co., NASD #00-00527 (obtaining defense verdict in selling away case)
Watson v. MTC, 553 N.W.2d 406 (Minn. 1996) (landmark governmental immunities decision)
Special School District #1 v. Dunham, 498 N.W.2d 441 (Minn. 1993) (involving Minnesota Human Rights Act)
Corazalla v. Quie, 478 N.W.2d 197 (Minn. Ct. App. 1991) (involving real estate dispute)

Publications and Presentations:

Speaker: “FINRA Arbtration: Representing Clients and Arbitrating” (MSBA 2012)
Panelist: 2010 Upper Midwest Securities Litigation Forum
Co-Author, “NASD Arbitration of Securities Disputes” (Bench & Bar 2003)
Chairperson, “NASD Securities Arbitration in a Recovering Market” (2004)
Chairperson, “NASD Securities Arbitration in a Bad Economy” (2003)
Chairperson, “Hot Trends in Securities Arbitrations” (2002)

Community Activities:

Current Member of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Autism Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”) Advisory Council (2012). The ASD Advisory Council provides input into the development of a Medical Assistance benefit for children with ASD through Reform 2020: Pathways to Independence, and the Autism Housing with Supports Study for children with severe autism authorized by 2012 Laws of Minnesota, Chapter 247, Article 4, Section 50.
Past President and Current Board Member, PACER Center, a national organization helping families and children with special needs based in Minnesota.
Past President, Hamline Law School Alumni Association (2006-08)
Former Board Member, Volunteer Lawyers Network, Ltd. See State v. Cassidy, 567 N.W.2d 707 (Minn. 1997) (reversing conviction involving tribal tobacco transportation in pro bono matter).
Member, Minnesota Legislative Taskforce reviewing special education laws and regulations (2008-09)

Awards and Recognition:

Recognized annually since 1999 by the Minnesota Law & Politics magazine in its annual survey as one of top 4.5% of Minnesota Super Lawyer attorneys
Consistently achieved the highest rankings (AV rating) by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory

Undergraduate:

B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College, 1985, with honors

Law School:

Juris Doctorate (High Honors), Hamline University School of Law, 1989

Managing Editor, Hamline University Law Review and was a special editor for the “Non-Posnerian Law and Economics Symposium”, Vol. XII, No. 2 (1989)