204.346.5111
jneufeld@snj.ca

Practice Areas:

Real Estate
Corporate / Commercial
Wills and Estates
Agriculture Law

John E. Neufeld

John obtained an Honours Arts Degree from the University of Manitoba in 1971, graduating with First Class Honours. Thereafter John entered the University of Manitoba Law School from which he graduated in 1974, receiving the prize for the highest standing in Administrative Law. John has practiced law in the City of Steinbach, concentrating mainly on commercial transactions. John's preferred areas of practice include corporate and commercial transactions, estate planning, lending and security transactions for lenders and borrowers, real estate transactions, wills and estates.

In 1990 John was elected a bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba eventually serving on most of the committees of the Law Society, including terms as chairs of a number of committees including Education and Admissions, Standards, and Discipline. In 1995, John was elected vice-president of the Law Society of Manitoba, and later in that same year was appointed Queen's Counsel by the Attorney General of Manitoba. In 1996 John was elected president of the Law Society of Manitoba. In 1997 John was appointed a life bencher of the Law Society of Manitoba. Since then John has served on a number of disciplinary panels at the Law Society. Since 1999 John was a sessional lecturer at the University of Manitoba Law School in real estate transactions and mortgages. In 1997 John was appointed a member of the Board of the Law Foundation of Manitoba on which he served until 2003. John has been an annual lecturer on rural real estate transactions at the Bar Admission Course of the Law Society of Manitoba, and an occasional lecturer and seminar leader in ethics and professional responsibilities. John has been a frequent lecturer at various continuing legal education seminars at the Law Society of Manitoba, including speaking on powers of attorney, elder law, proceeds of crime legislation, and the ethical practice of law. John has been a frequent speaker on various legal topics to numerous organizations including the Steinbach Credit Union, Niverville Credit Union, Farm Credit Canada, Federal Business Development Bank, Enterprises St. Boniface Inc., Manitoba Institute of Management, Steinbach New Horizons Club, Hanover School Division (Adult Education), Grunthal Menno Home, Grace Mennonite Church of Steinbach, Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, and Red River Community College, as well as various other private and public organizations. John has also been actively involved in the community serving approximately ten years on the Board of the Steinbach Public Library, and approximately six of those years as Chairperson. John was also a member of the Southeastern Manitoba Elder Abuse Committee for many years, advising healthcare professionals on elder abuse issues. John was a treasurer of the Steinbach and Area Leisure Pool Committee. Since 1998 John has served on the Board of Directors of the Bethesda Foundation Inc., a local foundation supporting healthcare in Southeastern Manitoba. Since 1999 John has served as a director of Native Orchid and Conservation Inc., a non-profit Manitoba conservation group. John has been a frequent canvasser for the Association of Community Living, United Way Appeal, and Canadian Cancer Society.

John has frequently coached community sports teams including Junior and Senior High School basketball, Little League baseball and T-ball. John has been married for over 30 years to Christiane Neufeld and is the father of three sons whose job it is to make life as difficult as possible for John. They do a very good job. John has a wide variety of personal interests which keep him active. Most of his time is spent with his family but in addition he enjoys reading, golf, photography, nature activities, bird watching, running, curling, and basketball. In other words, he is involved in too many activities to be good at any of them but has fun trying. It is John's firm belief that life is good, and we should make the most of it.