James E. McDonald

James E. McDoald is an attorney practicing with James E. McDonald, P.A. and of counsel to McLuskey & McDonald, P.A., both in Pinecrest, Florida.  Prior to opening his own law firm in 2009, he was a senior partner for more than 30 years in several international law firms, resident in their Miami offices.  McDonald is an adjunct professor of law at St. Thomas University.   

McDonald practices in the area of civil litigation and renewable energy and sustainability.  He was formerly general counsel to the International Biofuels Commission founded by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.   In November, 2012, McDonald was elected to the Village Council of Pinecrest, Florida, a non-partisan position.  He has subsequently been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Miami-Dade League of Cities and is chairman of its Transportation Committee.  He was re-elected to another four year term in November 2016.  

McDonald also serves as vice chair of the Transportation Infrastructure Committee of the  National League of Cities and is a member of the Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee of the Florida League of Cities.  

Prior to entering private law practice, McDonald served as senior counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives, Select Committee on Assassinations; Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Florida; Special Counsel to Governor Reubin Askew; Assistant Counsel, U.S. House of Representative Select Committee on Crime chaired by Representative Claude Pepper.  Upon graduating from law school, he was appointed  special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation assigned to Seattle, Washington and San Francisco, California.  

McDonald has had a long history of civic involvement in the community.  He served on the board of governors of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Miami River Commission and also a member of the Bayfront Park Trust,  president of the Downtown Miami Business Association, a member of the board of directors of the Zoological Society of Florida, vice chairman of the board of trustees of St. Thomas University, Miami and founder and chairman of the Volvo Ocean Race Host Committee, Ocean Race Miami, Inc., for the 2002 Miami stopover.  

McDonald received his A.B. degree from Fairfield University in Connecticut and a J.D. degree from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.  He received a Certificate of Completion from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University for “Leadership in the 21st Century.”