Experience

How can Michael create value for you?

Michael has been developing a litigation practice since joining Parlee McLaws as an associate in 2020, following completion of his articles with the firm. He has experience with an array of litigation matters, with a particular focus in insurance litigation, employment law, and construction disputes.

While away from work Michael enjoys sports – both avidly watching and participating. A fun fact about Michael – as a high effort but low performance athlete he is always happy to join a team, but he usually performs at a level that makes everyone else on their team feel good about their skill level.

Michael acts for clients before the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench and the Federal Court. Michael has won multiple trials in Provincial Court. His belief is that one of the most important aspects of litigation is delivering practical, value-focused advice that provides clients with the ability be meaningfully heard in front of court while acknowledging and balancing the significant investment of time, fiscal and emotional capital that goes into litigation. To that end, Michael is working on growing his practice by working for clients in the review of their employment agreements, contracts, and liability releases. While lawsuits can never be fully prevented, he believes that forward looking advice is an essential tool in maximizing client dollars by reasonably managing litigation risk, or at least mitigating downstream evidentiary issues.

Michael is a born and bred Calgarian who completed a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) with First Class standing from the University of Calgary, and then spent three years studying law in interior of British Columbia at Thompson Rivers University. He has received numerous scholarships and academic accolades throughout his post-secondary studies, including course prizes in Advanced Advocacy and Advanced Legal Research, and the biggest honour of his professional life to this point, being selected as the Valedictorian of his graduating class in law school.

Prior professional pursuits comprise an eclectic mix of roles, including acting as a research assistant on the Canadian portion of an international project evaluating corporate governance practices in National Sport Organizations, working as a children’s summer camp criminal science instructor [that really is a thing], working part-time as a sales associate in a liquor store, and working for Statistics Canada during the 2016 Census.

Professional Activities

  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Calgary Bar Association
  • Member, The Advocates’ Society

Awards

  • Dean’s List, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University, 2018, 2019
  • Baker Newby LLP Scholarship, Fall 2018
  • Dean’s Court Prize, Advanced Advocacy, Winter 2018
  • Dean’s Course Prize, Advanced Legal Research, Fall 2017
  • Dean’s List, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Louise McKinney Scholarship, 2015

Community

  • Assistant Coach for the Thompson Rivers University Law School’s Hockey Arbitration of Canada team (2022)
  • Pro Bono Law Alberta – Amicus Volunteer Lawyer