David Chapman-Smith

David Chapman-Smith is a retired lawyer from Toronto now living in Cobourg, Ontario, and served as Secretary-General of the World Federation of Chiropractic from 1988 until July 2015. He was General Counsel and Acting Secretary-General for the International Federation of Sports Chiropractic (FICS) from 2009 to 2017.

David was editor/publisher of The Chiropractic Report for 30 years from 1986 to 2016, is the author of the text The Chiropractic Profession (NCMIC, 2000), and published numerous articles.

Originally from New Zealand, David graduated from Auckland University with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours degree in 1972 and became a trial lawyer and partner in the law firm of Holmden Horrocks and Co in Auckland.  His introduction to chiropractic was as legal counsel for the New Zealand Chiropractors' Association before the New Zealand Commission of Inquiry into Chiropractic in 1978/79.

At the request of the Ontario and Canadian Chiropractic Associations, he moved to Toronto, Canada, in 1982, where he requalified as a lawyer and became counsel for those associations. His many awards include honorary degrees from chiropractic colleges and honorary memberships in national chiropractic associations. In 2015, upon his retirement from the World Federation of Chiropractic, the WFC Honor Awards for outstanding service to the international growth of chiropractic were given the new title of the David Chapman-Smith Honour Awards.

David is married to the Brazilian chiropractic pioneer and leader Sira Borges DC, MD, and there are five chiropractors in their family, graduates of Anhembi Murumbi University in Brazil, CMCC in Canada, and Palmer in the USA. His main sports have been rugby, tennis, and marathon, and his musical interests include piano and guitar.