About
Chantelle MacDonald, K.C., Q. Arb.
King's Counsel, Qualified Arbitrator, and Internationally Accredited Mediator
A credentialed dispute resolution neutral, with decades of high-stakes legal work, executive leadership, and rigorous professional accreditation behind every file.
Credentials that set the standard
A credentialed neutral
Chantelle MacDonald holds the designation of King's Counsel (K.C.) and is a member in good standing of the Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, where she also serves on the Law Society Disciplinary Committee.
As an Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada (ADRIC) Qualified Arbitrator, she is one of only fifteen arbitrators listed on the Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Management Arbitration Committee's Roster of Arbitrators, a roster reserved for neutrals of demonstrated excellence.
In mediation, Chantelle has attained the highest available level of interpersonal mediation accreditation from UK Mediation (AIM Qualification and Assessment Group), a distinction meaningful precisely because mediation is a regulated profession in the United Kingdom. She is also an International Mediation Institute (IMI) Qualified Mediator, a globally recognized standard of professional competency.
Her expertise in workplace matters is further deepened by an Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations from Osgoode Hall Law School, one of Canada's foremost legal institutions.
Credibility snapshot
Recognition, roles, and accreditation
King's Counsel (K.C.)
Recognized excellence at the Bar.
ADRIC Qualified Arbitrator (Q. Arb.)
The national arbitration standard.
NL Labour Management Arbitration Committee Roster
One of only fifteen listed arbitrators in the province.
IMI Qualified Mediator
An internationally recognized mediation credential.
UK Mediation / AIM, highest interpersonal accreditation
The gold standard, in a jurisdiction where mediation is a regulated profession.
Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations
From Osgoode Hall Law School.
Vice-Chair, NL Labour Relations Board
A part-time neutral adjudicator and mediator role.
Former Assistant Deputy Minister
Human Resources and Justice (Civil Division), Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Supreme Court of Canada advocate
Counsel in the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour case.
Why Chantelle
The difference experience makes
Most neutrals bring legal credentials. Chantelle brings something rarer: the perspective of someone who has sat on all sides of the table.
As a litigator, she represented government at the highest levels, including at the Supreme Court of Canada in the landmark Saskatchewan Federation of Labour "right to strike" case. As Assistant Deputy Minister in three government portfolios, including Human Resources and the Department of Justice (Civil Division), she led organizations, managed complex human relations challenges, and made decisions with real consequences.
That breadth of experience as advocate, executive, and adjudicator shapes how Chantelle approaches every file. She understands what employers need. She understands what is at stake for employees. And she understands what a decision-maker requires to reach a defensible, principled outcome.
Her approach combines legal acumen, executive leadership, and a practical, results-focused attitude, aimed always at the best possible outcome for the matter at hand, not the longest possible process.
Ready to resolve?
Chantelle welcomes inquiries from counsel, employers, organizations, unions, and parties seeking an experienced, impartial dispute resolution professional.