Overview
Michael is a corporate/commercial lawyer focused on private equity and venture capital. Michael is the head of the firm’s Private Equity Practice. In his mergers and acquisitions practice Michael advises private equity funds, pension funds and strategic investors in all aspects of their domestic and cross-border M&A transactions and other investment activities, including leveraged buyouts, majority and minority equity investments, co-investments and restructurings.
In his fund formation practice, Michael advises sponsors in structuring and negotiating their private market funds and their internal governance and economic arrangements. He has recently advised sponsors on funds spanning a range of private market areas, including buy-out, venture capital, infrastructure, secondary and search funds, including most recently Imperial Capital Fund VII and numerous funds for Caledon Capital. His work also includes a number of secondary transactions to buy or sell LP interests in a fund or a portfolio of funds.
Representative Work
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Recognition
Chambers Canada—Leading lawyer in private equity: buyouts (2017-2020)
Chambers Global—Leading lawyer in private equity: buyouts (2018-2020)
Best Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in private funds law (2014-2020), corporate law (2016-2020)
Best Lawyers in Canada—Private funds law lawyer of the year (2018)
Lexpert’s Guide to US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada—Most Frequently Recommended in business issues (2018)
Lexpert’s Guide to US/Canada Cross-Border Lawyers in Canada—Cross-border practitioner to watch (2009 and 2010)
The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory—Leading lawyer in private equity, mergers & acquisitions (2013-2019)
Lexpert’s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40—One of Canada’s leading lawyers under 40 (2009)
Who’s Who Legal—Leading Canadian lawyer in private funds (2014-2015, 2019-2020)
Professional Involvement
Michael has acted as corporate counsel to the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity, a not-for-profit, provincial government-sponsored organization. He also served as a director of the institute for over 10 years, starting with its founding. The institute was created to assess the economic competitiveness of the Province of Ontario by way of an independent task force chaired by Roger L. Martin, Dean of The Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
Michael has been an adjunct professor of Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, and has taught the Business Associations course twice. He was previously a co-chair of Torys’ Student Committee.
In the past, Michael has also advised the Heart & Stroke Foundation, COSTI Immigrant Services and ILEAP (International Lawyers and Economists Against Poverty) on various corporate and commercial matters.
Community
For many years, Michael was pro bono corporate counsel to We Charity (formerly Free the Children), a Canadian charity founded by Canadian child rights activists Craig and Marc Kielburger. We Charity is the world’s largest network of children helping children to develop as socially conscious global citizens and to become agents of change through domestic empowerment programs and leadership training. Michael was at the same time pro bono corporate counsel to Me to We, a new kind of social enterprise founded by Marc and Craig Kielburger. Me to We is committed to working with people who want to help change the world with their daily choices. Through its media, socially responsible choices and leadership experiences, Me to We supports We Charity’s work with youth creating global change.
