Our Team

Lexpert/Thomson Canada’s Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2011—Most frequently recommended lawyer in asset securitization, and banking and financial institutions; consistently recommended in asset equipment finance/leasing; repeatedly recommended in corporate finance/securities and derivatives instruments

Chambers & Partners’ Chambers Global: World’s Leading Lawyers for Business, The Client’s Guide, 2009-2012—Leading lawyer in banking and finance: securitization

Lexpert/American Lawyer Media’s Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada, 2009-2012—Leading lawyer in asset securitization

Woodward White’s Best Lawyers 2011—Toronto Structured Finance Lawyer of the Year

Legal Media Group/Euromoney's IFLR1000 The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms 2010—Leading lawyer in banking/financial services regulatory

Woodward White’s Best Lawyers in Canada, 2009-2012—Leading lawyer in equipment finance law, securities law and structured finance law

Practical Law Company’s Which Lawyer? 2009-2012—Leading lawyer in capital markets: debt and equity 

Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal, The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, 2008-2010—Leading lawyer in aviation

Woodward White’s Best Lawyers 2010—Toronto Equipment Finance Lawyer of the Year

Legal Media Group/Euromoney's IFLR1000 The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms 2009—Leading lawyer in capital markets

Michael has recently represented

• The Toronto-Dominion Bank on its acquisition of the Canadian credit card operations of MBNA Canada Bank for approximately $8 billion
• The Toronto-Dominion Bank on Canadian aspects of its acquisition of Chrysler Financial for approximately $6.3 billion
• Ally Credit Canada and Ally Financial in connection with the establishment of a $7.5 billion credit facility to fund, among other things, Canadian wholesale dealer loans and retail auto loans
• The underwriters on Genesis Trust’s public offerings of notes backed by personal lines of credit originated by The Toronto-Dominion Bank and the filing of a base shelf prospectus by Genesis Trust II
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) in connection with the design and implementation of the C$12 billion Canadian Secured Credit Facility to invest in term asset-backed securities backed by auto and equipment loans and leases
• BDC in connection with the design and implementation of a public-private partnership with TAO Asset Management aimed at facilitating access to funding under the federal government’s Vehicle and Equipment Financing Partnership
• National Bank of Canada on matters relating to the restructuring of the Canadian third party ABCP market in 2007 and 2008
• The underwriters in connection with the private placement of C$86 million of senior secured bonds to fund the redevelopment project for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Ontario
• Canadian Capital Auto Receivables Asset Trust on a number of public offerings of notes and loans from commercial paper conduits secured by a co-ownership interest in a pool of auto loan receivables acquired from Ally Credit Canada (formerly GMAC Canada)
• Ally Credit Canada (formerly GMAC Canada) in the securitization of several pools of retail auto loans, auto leases and wholesale dealer loans through commercial paper conduits
• Borealis Infrastructure Management in its participation in a consortium that successfully bid for all of the outstanding shares of Associated British Ports in the United Kingdom
• President’s Choice Bank and Loblaws Companies on Eagle Credit Card Trust’s March 2006 C$500 million public offering of asset-backed notes and December 2010 C$600 million public offering of asset-backed notes secured by a co-ownership interest in credit card receivables originated by PC Bank
• Xceed Mortgage in Xceed’s two public offerings of mortgage-backed notes secured by a pool of residential mortgages
• The underwriters in Canada Mortgage Acceptance Corporation’s public offerings of ownership certificates representing ownership interests in a pool of residential mortgages originated by GMAC Residential Funding of Canada
• The consortium of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Carlyle Group and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity as Canadian counsel on the Canadian financing aspects of the consortium’s approximately US$15 billion acquisition of Hertz from Ford
• Borealis Infrastructure Management and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in their participation in a consortium that successfully bid on two U.K. natural gas distribution networks auctioned by National Grid Transco plc
• Centrica Canada in the establishment of The Consumers’ Waterheater Income Fund; in the fund’s initial public offering of C$287.5 million of trust units; and in the fund’s public offering of C$500 million of asset-backed notes in the first public future funds flow securitization in Canada