Our Team

Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC’s IFLR 1000, Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms 2008—Leading lawyer in insolvency and restructuring

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2007—Repeatedly recommended practitioner in corporate restructuring

Chambers & Partners’ Chambers Global, World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Client’s Guide 2006—Leading lawyer in restructuring and insolvency

In recent years, Michael has represented

• the DIP lender and backstop investors in the restructuring of AbitibiBowater
• a leading aircraft lessor in the bankruptcy of Zoom Airlines
• Viventia Biotech in its successful CCAA restructuring
• Island Energy Partnership (a partnership of Sherritt International and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board) in their proposal to financially sponsor a restructuring plan of Stelco
• the court-appointed receiver of SMK Speedy International
• Irwin Toy, a leading Canadian toy company, in its CCAA restructuring
• major holders of deposit receipts of AT&T Canada
• a major aircraft lessor in the CCAA proceedings and subsequent bankruptcy of Canada 3000 and Royal Aviation
• the purchaser of the assets of Irwin Publishing, a major Canadian educational publisher, in its CCAA proceedings
• a secured creditor in the CCAA restructuring of Playdium
• a landlord in the CCAA proceedings of A.G. Simpson Automotive
• landlords in the CCAA proceedings of Cineplex Odeon, a major movie theatre chain
• senior noteholders of Axxent, a Canadian telecommunications company, in its receivership proceedings
• Norigen, a telecommunications provider, in its insolvency
• the Plan Agent in the Chapter 11 case of Semi-Tech
• senior bondholders in the CCAA proceedings of Algoma Steel
• the purchaser of the assets of Autosystems Manufacturing

• the purchaser of the shares of The T. Eaton Company, a major Canadian department store chain, in its 1999 CCAA proceedings
• SkyDome, in its CCAA proceedings and sale
• the court-appointed monitor of Juniper Lumber in its CCAA proceedings
• Dylex, owner of major Canadian retail clothing chains, in its CCAA proceedings
• the lender to The T. Eaton Company in its first CCAA filing

Michael has published a number of articles on matters relating to insolvency, in National Insolvency Review, Commercial Insolvency Reporter and Canadian Bankruptcy Reports. He is also a frequent speaker at seminars and conferences on insolvency and related matters and is a former instructor of Creditors’ and Debtors’ Rights at the Bar Admission Course.

Michael has chaired and served on a number of Insolvency Institute of Canada/Canadian Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Professionals working groups on recent insolvency law reform in Canada.