Ward F. McDonald

Ward F. McDonald offers extensive expertise in real estate, banking, and commercial law to his clients at Meyer Capel. His distinguished career includes 13 years as CEO of Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., a title insurer with a multi-state reach, and 25 years of legal practice. Ward has successfully managed numerous high-value transactions, including sales, acquisitions, refinancing, and consolidations for both commercial and residential real estate developments.

Ward earned a Bachelor of Science in Urban Land Economics and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois. Furthering his education, he completed graduate courses at the University of Southern California. As an Adjunct Professor of Finance and Law at the University of Illinois, he has been imparting knowledge in upper-level real estate courses for two decades.

An active participant in professional and civic organizations, Ward is a member of the American Bar Foundation and a charter member of both the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the Illinois Bar Foundation. He has held leadership roles, including Chairman of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Real Estate Law Section Council and Board Director at Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund, Inc.

Ward's community involvement extends to his past presidency of the Arrowhead Council, Boy Scouts of America, and his seven-year tenure on the Mahomet-Seymour (CUSD #3) School Board. As a co-founder of the Land Conservation Foundation, he has also contributed to the Board of Directors for the Prairie Rivers Network.

Outside of his legal practice, Ward enjoys hiking, biking, and tennis. An avid outdoorsman, he and his wife, Diana, are dedicated to reforesting their 160-acre land near Mahomet, having planted 50,000 trees. Diana, who taught English at Parkland College for 35 years, and Ward are active members of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church.