Michael leads the firm’s Civil Litigation/Class Actions practice. He is well known for his work in bringing a number of innovative and class action proceedings on behalf of employees, retirees and pension plans. Michael has been recognized by his peers as one of the “Best Lawyers in Canada” in the areas of labour and employment law, is a “Leading Practitioner” according to Lexpert, and one of Law Day’s leading lawyers in the area of employment law. For five years he was the firm’s Managing Partner and is currently its Co-Managing Partner.
Michael has a large practice which involves advising and representing executives and professionals in a range of industries on employment matters. He has acted for individuals in financial services, telecommunications, manufacturing and a variety of other sectors of the economy. His employment law practice focuses on providing advice and advocacy to employees concerning wrongful dismissal, competition issues and compensation matters. While he frequently appears on behalf of his clients in the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, he brings a practical and solution focused approach to employment related disputes.
Michael also has extensive experience providing advice and advocacy to unions and professional organizations in a variety of sectors including industrial workers, professional engineers, symphony musicians, pilots and employees in technology fields. He has successfully negotiated dozens of collective agreements in the symphonic and television industries, including the Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet of Canada and Tafelmusik. He has acted both as counsel and as a nominee on arbitration boards in the final arbitration of numerous collective agreements in the power generation and university sectors.
As counsel, Michael has represented unions and professional organizations and their pension and benefit plans in the courts on pension matters, injunctions, judicial review applications and shareholder actions.
Michael obtained a doctorate from Stanford Law School where he focused on labour law issues arising from public sector privatization. He has published numerous articles on labour law and legal theory in journals. Michael has also taught advanced seminars in labour law at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School, including the Masters Program in Labour Law offered by Osgoode Hall Law School. He is a frequent speaker on labour and employment law issues, and has recently presented at the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Upper Canada's Special Lectures on Employment Law, the Centre for Labour Management Relations and the Lancaster House Annual Labour Arbitration Conference.
Michael is a member of the Canadian Association of Labour Lawyers.