About Michael
Michael practises exclusively in the area of Pensions and Benefits law. He provides private and public sector clients, including boards of trustees, with strategic advice and practical counsel about legal, legislative and regulatory issues surrounding retirement plans, employment benefits and related human resource matters. In business transactions, Michael advises clients on the pension and benefit implications. He assists clients with drafting, amending and interpreting a wide variety of plan and trust documentation and provides support on pension and benefit litigation. Michael is also highly experienced in the legal aspects of governing, administering and documenting group benefit plans, including non-pension post-retirement benefit plans.For many years, Michael has been active in the area of legislative reform for pensions through a variety of forums. He is a member of the Legal Consultative Committee for Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. Michael served on the Advisory Committee for the Joint Alberta-British Columbia Drafting of Pension Legislation, which was formed by those two governments to provide input and advice into the development of a new joint pension standards act and regulation for the two provinces.Prior to joining Fasken, Michael was a partner at a regional law firm and a founding member of a Calgary-based boutique firm focused on providing integrated HR legal solutions and a partner with a national law firm.
Michael practises exclusively in the area of Pensions and Benefits law. He provides private and public sector clients, including boards of trustees, with strategic advice and practical counsel about legal, legislative and regulatory issues surrounding retirement plans, employment benefits and related human resource matters. In business transactions, Michael advises clients on the pension and benefit implications. He assists clients with drafting, amending and interpreting a wide variety of plan and trust documentation and provides support on pension and benefit litigation. Michael is also highly experienced in the legal aspects of governing, administering and documenting group benefit plans, including non-pension post-retirement benefit plans.
For many years, Michael has been active in the area of legislative reform for pensions through a variety of forums. He is a member of the Legal Consultative Committee for Alberta Treasury Board and Finance. Michael served on the Advisory Committee for the Joint Alberta-British Columbia Drafting of Pension Legislation, which was formed by those two governments to provide input and advice into the development of a new joint pension standards act and regulation for the two provinces.
Prior to joining Fasken, Michael was a partner at a regional law firm and a founding member of a Calgary-based boutique firm focused on providing integrated HR legal solutions and a partner with a national law firm.
Practice Areas
Professional Affiliations
Awards & Recognition
- Lawyer of the Year: Employee Benefits Law, Calgary, Canada (2024)
- Lawyer of the Year: Employee Benefits Law, Calgary, Canada (2022)
- Recognized: Employee Benefits Law
- Best Lawyers in Canada: recognized for Employee Benefits law
- Chambers Canada: recognized in the Pensions & Benefits (Canada) category
- Chambers Global 2017: recognized in the Pension & Benefits (Canada) category
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2016: consistently recommended as a Leading Practitioner for Pensions and Employee Benefits (Employer)
- The International Law Office and Lexology: winner of the 2015 Employment & Benefits Client Choice award (Alberta)