Linda Godel

Partner, Business Law Group Torkin Manes LLP

  • Toronto ON

Extensive experience advising charities and not-for-profit organizations — Chair of the firm’s Not-for-Profit & Charities Law Practice Group

Contact

Social

Biography

Linda is the Chair of Torkin Manes’ Not-for-Profit & Charities Group. She acts as external general counsel to numerous not-for-profit organizations, both charitable and non-charitable, and provides advice to local, provincial, national and international organizations covering a wide range of disciplines. Her clients include professional associations, self-regulated bodies and organizations in such fields as religion, health, education, social services, poverty, childcare, athletics and recreation. She advises organizations in the third sector on structuring and restructuring matters, corporate governance, by-law interpretation, director and member disputes, directors’ and officers’ liability, compliance issues, cross-border and international relationships and gifting, endowment and fundraising issues. She is a frequent speaker and writer on topics pertinent to the voluntary sector and is an active volunteer.

Industry Expertise

Non-Profit/Charitable
Legal Services
Corporate Leadership
Corporate Training
Fund-Raising
Philanthropy
Religious Institutions

Areas of Expertise

Not for Profits
Charities
Governance of Not for Profits and Charities
Directors' Duties of Not For Profits and Charities
Mergers of Not For Profit and Charities

Accomplishments

The Canadian Legal Expert Directory, Not-for-Profit & Charities

2016-06-01

Featured leading lawyer in Lexpert Directory.

The Canadian Legal Expert Directory, Not-for-Profit & Charities

2015-06-01

Featured leading lawyer in Lexpert Directory.

The Canadian Legal Expert Directory, Not-for-Profit & Charities

2014-06-01

Featured leading lawyer in Lexpert Directory.

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Education

Osgoode Hall Law School, York University

LLB

Law

1987

McGill University

BA

English Literature

1984

Affiliations

  • Member, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, Not-for-Profit Governance Committee
  • Member, Ontario's Business Law Advisory Council, Not-For-Profit Subcommittee, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services
  • Vice-Chair, Canadian Bar Association, Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section Executive
  • Member, Ontario Bar Association, Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section Executive

Languages

  • English

Media Appearances

What are we talking about when we talk about social innovation?

The Philanthropist  online

2017-01-23

Quoted on social innovation in article written by John Lorinc.

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Event Appearances

Effecting Fundamental Changes: Unification, Separation, and Dissolution of Charities and Not-For-Profit Corporations In Ontario

Ontario Bar Association, Charity and Not-for-Profit Law Program  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2017-04-04

Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act: Lessons Learned

Law Society of Upper Canada, 6th Annual Business Law Summit  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2016-05-12

Setting the Record Straight – Recordkeeping Requirements of Charities

2015 National Charity Law Symposium  Toronto, Ontario, Canada

2015-05-29

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Articles

Final Deadline for Federal Not-for-Profit Corporations: Do You Have Your Certificate of Continuance under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act?

Torkin Manes LegalPoint

Linda J. Godel

2017-02-01

If your federal not-for-profit corporation has not yet received a certificate of continuance under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, immediate steps should be taken to ensure that it gets one
before July 31, 2017.

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Important Change to Recordkeeping Requirements for Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations That Own an Interest in Land in Ontario

Torkin Manes LegalPoint

Linda J. Godel

2016-12-15

Effective December 10, 2016, every newly incorporated Ontario not-for-profit corporation is required to keep
a register of the land in Ontario in which it has an ownership interest.

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Pre-Meeting Fundamentals for Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations

Torkin Manes LegalPoint

Linda J. Godel and Dianne Hajdasz

2016-03-14

Not-for-profit corporations (“NFPs”) are required to hold various member and director meetings during the course of a year. This article reviews different issues that Ontario NFPs must consider in preparation for these meetings.

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