Michael is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon and is recognized as a leading Canadian litigator. He has represented individuals, pensioners, governments, regulators, private and public corporations, financial institutions, and boards of directors. His clients have faced a wide range of challenges, including criminal charges, pension loss, unfair treatment by domestic or foreign governments, insolvency issues, regulatory obligations, family disputes, damage to professional reputations, and complex commercial matters. Michael has appeared in courts across Canada, including the Supreme Court of Canada, in U.S. courts as both counsel and expert witness on Canadian law, and in arbitration proceedings against foreign governments in London and The Hague.
Michael has also contributed to the for-benefit sector, serving on the boards of Unison Community Health Services, Dixon Hall, Scarborough Health Network Foundation, and the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation. Within the legal community, he was a founding director of Pro Bono Law Ontario and served on the board of Parkdale Community Legal Services. He is a past president and board member of The Advocates’ Society and has lectured at Canadian law schools.
Michael considers Toronto’s PATH system to be his main street. On June 1, 2025, he will celebrate his 45th anniversary as a part of this close-knit community, where people know each other by name.
