Representative matters include acting as:

• Lead counsel in connection with the establishment of syndicated credit facilities for each of Suncor Energy Inc., Husky Energy Inc., Encana Corporation, Nexen Inc., Athabasca Oil Corporation, Crew Energy Inc., TransCanada PipeLines Limited, Enbridge Inc., Canadian Pacific Railway Company, ENMAX Corporation, TransAlta Corporation, Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. and Fording Coal

• Lead counsel to the lenders financing the C$9-billion Sturgeon County refinery being developed by North West Redwater Partnership

• Lead counsel to TC Energy in connection with issuance (on a limited recourse basis) by Northern Courier Limited Partnership of C$1.0-billion senior secured notes and establishment of a C$70-million operating credit facility

• Lead counsel to Kinder Morgan Canada in connection with C$5.5-billion syndicated construction credit facilities for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion

• Lead counsel to the lenders in connection with the project financing of the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line pipeline project being constructed and developed by Enhance Energy Inc. and Wolf Carbon Solutions Inc.

• Lead counsel to the lenders in connection with the establishment of credit facilities in favour of Wolf Midstream Inc. to finance (on a project finance basis) its acquisition of a 50% ownership interest in the Access Pipeline from Devon Energy Corp. for C$1.4-billion

• Lead counsel to the lenders in connection with the establishment of C$1.52-billion credit facilities in favour of Wolf Midstream Inc. to finance its ownership interest in the Access Pipeline (acquired in separate transactions with each of Devon Energy Corp and MEG Energy Corp.)

• Lead counsel to the lenders to Western Oil Sands Inc. in the financing of Western's joint venture participation in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project with Shell Canada Limited and Chevron Canada Limited

• Lead Canadian counsel to the lenders in connection with the US$240-million construction credit facilities for the cross-border Vantage Pipeline project

• Lead counsel to the lenders in connection with the project financing of the Cascadia Terminal (grain-handling terminal) located on Burrard Inlet in Vancouver, British Columbia (a joint venture between Cargill and a predecessor to Viterra).

• Lead counsel to TransCanada Corporation/TransCanada Pipelines Limited in connection with the establishment of US$10.3-billion bridge credit facilities in favour of TransCanada for the approximately US$13-billion acquisition by TransCanada of the Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc.

• Lead counsel to Cenovus Energy Inc. in connection with the establishment of C$10.5-billion bridge credit facilities for the C$17.7-billion acquisition by Cenovus of assets from ConocoPhillips

• Lead counsel to ENMAX Corporation in connection with the establishment of bridge credit facilities in favour of ENMAX for the approximately US$1.3-billion acquisition by ENMAX of Emera Marine

• Lead counsel to the lenders in the financing of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Limited's acquisition of TransAlta Power, L.P.

Michael was named the "Lawyer of the Year (Banking and Finance Law)" in The Best Lawyers in Canada 2020. Further, in 2013 he was named The Best Lawyers' Calgary Banking and Finance "Lawyer of the Year." Michael was appointed King's Counsel for Alberta in 2014.

In addition, he has been recognized (as well as in prior years) in the following publications:

• Best Lawyers: "Lawyer of the Year" 2024 (Asset-Based Lending Practice and Structured Finance Law, Calgary)

• The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 (Asset-Based Lending Practice, Banking and Finance Law, Project Finance Law, Structured Finance Law)

• Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Banking & Finance)

• The Legal 500 Canada 2024 (Banking and Finance)

• The 2024 Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Banking & Financial Institutions)

• Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Banking & Finance – Canada)

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Asset Securitization, Asset Equipment Finance/Leasing, Asset Based Lending, Banking & Financial Institutions, Project Finance)

• Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024

• IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial and Corporate Law Firms 2023 (Banking, Project Finance) 

• Who's Who Legal: Global 2023 (Project Finance)

• Who's Who Legal: Canada 2023 (Banking and Project Finance)

• Who's Who Legal: Project Finance 2021

• Who's Who Legal: Banking 2019 (Finance)

• Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers in Banking, Finance and Transactional Law 2019 (Banking and Finance, Project Finance)

• The 2017 Lexpert Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada (Banking & Financial Institutions)

Michael is a member of The Law Society of Alberta, the Law Society of Ontario, the Canadian Bar Association and the Calgary Bar Association.

Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1988
Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 1986
LLB, University of Toronto – 1985