Tom McDonald
tmcdonald@bakerlaw.com

Tom McDonald is a Partner in the Government Policy Practice Group and heads this practice area for the firm. Tom also serves as the Hiring Partner for the firm’s Washington Office. From offices in Washington, DC, and Cleveland, he concentrates his practice on legislative and governmental affairs, as well as international law and arbitration.

Ambassador McDonald has over 25 years of experience representing multinational corporations, manufacturers, major South African companies, banks, mutual fund companies, insurance companies, school districts, municipalities and trade associations. He has handled a variety of matters before the Congress including mutual funds legislation, appropriations, tax, energy and asbestos reform.

Ambassador McDonald has a particular understanding of legal, political and economic issues of Africa. On the international scene, Ambassador McDonald regularly negotiates the successful resolution of legal matters and other disputes for US multinationals and major South African companies in various African countries. Several times a year, his practice takes him abroad to handle various matters in Africa and the United Kingdom.

Previously, Ambassador McDonald was the Managing Partner of the Washington office of Arter & Hadden. He was the US ambassador to Zimbabwe from 1997-2001. Ambassador McDonald also served as a member of the US Presidential Delegation to observe the 1996 national elections in Bosnia and as an advisor on the reforming of election laws in Cambodia and Kenya.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Corporate Council on Africa, the Council of American Ambassadors, and the US-South Africa Business Council. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of World Learning, and the International Council of the Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University.

Ambassador McDonald is a member of the Washington, DC; New York City; Cleveland; Broome County, New York; Ohio State and American Bar Associations.

Ambassador McDonald is admitted to the practice of law in Ohio, the District of Columbia and New York. He received his B.A. from The George Washington University in 1976 and his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1979.