A representative sample of recent experience includes:

Commercial/Energy Cases

• Acted as litigation counsel to Philips Electronics in successfully enforcing a forum selection clause resulting in the stay of a number of related Alberta Actions

• Advising on complex joint venture, pipeline and infrastructure disputes, including as lead counsel for Suncor Energy Inc. in successfully defending an action seeking to set aside a C$1-billion transaction (see TotalEnergies EP Canada v. Suncor Energy Inc., 2023 ABKB 59)

• Successfully represented Enercapita Energy in a lengthy dispute with Alberta Energy relating to gas royalties

• Successfully defending ENMAX in connection with the defence of a high-profile, C$600-million action by the Attorney General of Alberta which sought to set aside a provision in an instrument under which it was terminated

• Ongoing defence and prosecution of multiple claims regarding alleged cost overruns and billing disputes with respect to the construction of an oilsands facility

• Routinely acting for energy companies in Power Purchase Arrangement disputes including numerous court actions and arbitrations

• Oil and gas litigation where he acted for an oil and gas company at trial in a C$100-million dispute regarding forward commodity contracts in the derivatives industry

• Successfully striking out a defamation claim against ENMAX Energy Corporation

• Acting as co-counsel on behalf of ExxonMobil in successfully setting aside a trial decision finding liability under the Competition Act which included setting aside the highest damages at large and then highest punitive damage award in Canadian law

Intellectual Property Cases

• Acting as co-counsel in a Benchmark 2017 "Impact Case of the Year", which involved defending a C$12-billion patent claim

• Litigating a number of cybersecurity matters including data breach incidents and writing in that area

Class Actions

• Successfully defending class actions on behalf of Canadian and U.S. financial institutions with claims in excess of C$100-million arising from alleged ponzi schemes

• Summarily dismissing a C$30-million putative class action against ENMAX Energy Corporation

• Counsel for leading multinational manufacturers and distributors in the defence of product liability actions involving surgical devices and hospital equipment

Injunctive Relief/Replevin Cases

• Successfully litigating several high-profile injunction applications, including successfully obtaining a high-profile mandatory injunction against a statutory corporation

• Lead counsel in the successful prosecution of an injunction on behalf of OPA! Souvlaki Franchise Group enforcing a Non-Competition Clause in the Franchise Agreement, including an award of full solicitor-client costs

• Representing several Canadian oil and gas corporations in successfully obtaining replevin of key corporate assets, including electronic seismic data

• Successfully obtaining pretrial injunctive relief relating to specialized oil and gas drilling technology

• Michael has routinely acted as Independent Supervising Solicitor ("ISS") on a number of Anton Piller orders

Reported Cases

Recent reported decisions in which Michael has been involved include:

• Enercapita Energy Ltd. – In the Matter of the Bankruptcy of Terra Energy Corp., 2023 ABKB 236
  

• Remington Development Corporation v. ENMAX Power Corporation, 2022 ABLPRT 903

• Remington Development Corporation v. ENMAX Power Corporation, 2022 ABCA 71

• Darby v. CitiFinancial, 2022 ABQB 9
  

• Big Plans for Little Kids Ltd. v. Souster, 2021 ABCA 73

• Remington v. Enmax, 2019 ABCA 69

• Remington Development Corporation v. Enmax Power Corporation, 2019 ABQB 754

• Remington Development Corporation v. Enmax Power Corporation, 2019 ABQB 901

• 321665 Alberta Ltd. v. Husky Oil Operations Ltd., 2013 ABCA 221 (CanLII), leave to SCC denied 2014 CanLII 1208 (SCC)

• Packers Plus Energy Services Inc. v. Essential Energy Services Ltd., 2017 FC 1111

• ENMAX Energy Corporation v. Balancing Pool, 2017 ABQB 718

• Catalyst Canada Services LP v. Catalyst Changers Inc., 2013 ABQB 73

• Alberta (Attorney General) v. Alberta Power (2000) Ltd. et al., 2017 ABQB 195

• Alberta (Attorney General) v. Alberta Power (2000) Ltd., 2018 ABQB 100

• ENMAX PPA Management Inc. v. Balancing Pool, 2017 ABQB

• The Best Lawyers in Canada (2022–2024: Class Action Litigation; 2020: Lawyer of the Year - Class Action Litigation, Calgary)

• Benchmark Canada: The Definitive Guide to Canada's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – 2021–2023 (Future Star)

• Benchmark Canada's 40 & Under List – 2021–2022

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2021 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

Michael is the author of numerous publications and has spoken extensively on numerous topical issues and developments in all aspects of litigation. He is also the author of a number of publications in the areas of oil and gas law, energy law, and securities litigation and is a frequent contributor to the "Law Matters" publication of the Canadian Bar Association.

Since 2010, Michael has been a facilitator and competency evaluator with the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education bar admission course administered by the Legal Education Society of Alberta.

Michael is an instructor for the Intensive Civil Trial Advocacy Course at the University of Calgary. Prior to that, Michael was an instructor at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law, for Law 505: Civil Procedure. Michael is also a judge for the McGillivray Moot at the University of Calgary. He was a former board member of Calgary Legal Guidance and is also an active member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Calgary Bar Association.

• Co-author : Civil Implications of the New Criminal Interest Rate Regulations
  Blakes Bulletin on Financial Services Regulatory / Litigation & Dispute Resolution, February 23, 2024.
• Co-author : Alberta’s New Tort of Harassment
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, August 8, 2023.
• Co-author : Getting Closure: Alberta Court Rejects Attempt to Hold Purchaser Liable for a Seller’s Post-Closing Royalty Arrears
  Blakes Bulletin on Energy, June 20, 2023.
• Co-author : “Just When I Thought I Was Out, They Pull Me Back In”: British Columbia Supreme Court Affirms Goal of Promoting Settlement in Multiparty Litigation
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, April 4, 2023.
• Co-author : Appeal Court affirms importance of precise language in ex parte orders
  The Lawyer's Daily, LexisNexis Canada, September 20, 2022.
• Co-author : Alberta Court of Appeal Affirms Importance of Precise Language in Injunction Orders
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, August 25, 2022.
• Co-author : Alberta Utilities Commission Issues Decision Confirming Scope of Module C Decision on Line Losses
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, June 28, 2022.
• Co-author : Alberta Court of Appeal denies hopeless amendments
  The Lawyer's Daily, LexisNexis Canada, April 21, 2022.
• Co-author : Canadian Defence Strategies to Climate Change Litigation
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, February 11, 2020.
• Co-author : Climate Change Litigation Heats Up: Emerging Trends and Analysis
  Blakes Bulletin on Litigation & Dispute Resolution, December 19, 2019.
• Co-author : Environmental Litigation on the Rise in Corporate Canada and Around the World
  Blakes Bulletin on Energy Litigation, September 10, 2019.

Intensive Trial Advocacy Course, Osgoode Hall Law School – 2013
Admitted to the Alberta Bar – 2005
LLB, University of Alberta – 2004
BA, University of Calgary – 2001