Jonathan Kroft
Chief Legal & Risk Management Officer, Wellington West Holdings Inc.
Jonathan joined Wellington West in the summer of 2006 as Executive Vice President, Risk Management and Chief Legal Officer. Jonathan oversees a team providing firm-wide support advising on legal issues, legal risk management and regulatory compliance.
Jonathan completed his B.A. (1981) and LL.B. (1983) at University of Manitoba (gold medalist) and obtained his LL.M. at Harvard University in 1990. He was called to the bar in Manitoba in 1984 and Ontario in 1991.
Prior to joining Wellington West, Jonathan was a partner at Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson in Winnipeg. Jonathan practised civil litigation, involving work before the Courts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario, the Federal Court, the Tax Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. Jonathan’s practice focused on commercial disputes, tax appeals, securities litigation and media law. He spent a total of 23 years at Aikins, interrupted only when he obtained his Masters degree at Harvard University and worked as a summer associate in Washington, D.C. at Arent, Fox, Kitner, Plotkin & Khan.
Jonathan is a frequent public speaker at legal and non-legal seminars and lectures, including the Pitblado Lectures, Bar Association and Law Society educational seminars, courses at the Universities of Manitoba and Winnipeg, and numerous continuing education seminars for lawyers, judges and journalists. His articles have been published in Annual Review of Civil Litigation and the Winnipeg Free Press.
Jonathan has a long history of active involvement in the community. He is currently President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and Past President of Advocates in Defence of Freedom of Expression (the Canadian Media Lawyers Association). Jonathan received the UIA Federations Canada Leadership Award in 2000 and the Harry Silverberg Award for Community Leadership.