Profile
Michael has a varied commercial practice, with a particular emphasis on banking law, secured transactions, insolvency and financial restructuring (including related litigation).
He has acted as lead counsel in lending and insolvency matters originating in Saskatchewan, and in national transactions involving the province. He regularly advises financing institutions with respect to lending and enforcement policies, as well as acting for a variety of lenders.
Michael has been named in the annual Lexpert Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada by LEXPERT in one or more of the areas of Banking and Financial Institutions, Corporate Commercial Law and Insolvency & Financial Restructuring in each year from 1999 to 2007.
He is Past President of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, which is the national coordinating body of Canada's 14 law societies, regulating 95,000 lawyers and 3,500 Quebec notaries.
Professional
 "Best Lawyers in Canada" - Banking Law, Corporate and Commercial
 Litigation, Corporate Law, Insolvency and Financial Restructuring, Natural
Resources Law 2006-2012, Best Lawyers' 2012 Regina Banking and Finance
Lawyer of the Year
Appointed Queen's Counsel, 2001
Partner, 1985 (Executive Committee Member)
Admitted to the Saskatchewan Bar, 1981
Education
Bachelor of Laws, 1980, University of Saskatchewan
Seminars & Presentations
Presenter, Canadian Bar Association Mid-Winter Meeting, 2000
Lecturer, Commercial Mortgages, Law Society of Saskatchewan, Bar Admission
Course, 1990-00
Presenter, Environmental Issues Affecting Creditors' Rights: Perspectives
from Alberta and Saskatchewan, Insight Information Inc. Seminar, 1996
Presenter, Priority Issues Affecting Operations and Suppliers' Liens: The
Saskatchewan Perspective, Insight Information Inc. Seminar, 1996
Presenter, Saskatchewan Personal Property Security Act, Canadian Bar
Association Insolvency Section, Calgary, AB, 1991
Presenter, Receivership Applications, Queen's Bench Chamber Applications
Seminar, Law Society of Saskatchewan, Continuing Legal Education, 1991
Presenter, Construction Mortgages and Financing of Builders, Law Society of
Saskatchewan, Continuing Legal Education, Construction Law Seminar, 1989
Presenter, Introduction to Personal Property Security Practice, Law So
ciety of
Saskatchewan, 1988
Presenter, Realization Against Personal Property, Law Society of
Saskatchewan, Continuing Legal Education on Farm Insolvency, 1987
Seminar Coordinator, Personal Property Security Act Seminar, Law Society of
Saskatchewan, 1985
Memberships & Associations
President, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2007 -
President, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 2002
Bencher, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 1998-03 (President 2002)
President, Saskatchewan Lawyers Insurance Association, 2000-01
Chair, Insurance Committee, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 2000-01
Chair, Legislation and Policy Committee, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 1999-
00
Vice-Chair, Discipline Committee, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 2000-01
Member, Insolvency Institute of Canada, 1998- (Board Member 2005-)
Member, Steering Committee, Commercial Law Strategy, Uniform Law
Conference of Canada, 2000-02
Member, Federation of Law Societies Committee on Multi-Disciplinary
Partnerships, 1999-02
Member, Joint Task Force of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and the
Canadian Insolvency Practitioners Association relative to "Business Insolvency
Law Reform", 2001
Member, Editorial Board of Banking and Finance Law Review, 1986-
Member, Editorial Board of Commercial Insolvency Reporter, 1999-
Member, Law Society of Saskatchewan, 1981-
Member, Canadian Bar Association, 1981-
Member, Saskatchewan Provincial Council Canadian Bar Association, 1991-92
Member, International Commission of Jurists
Member, INSOL International
Chairman, Natural Resources and Energy Subsection, Canadian Bar
Association (Saskatchewan Branch), 1991-92
Member, Business Law Subsection, Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan
Branch), 1986-
Member, Regina Bar Association, 1980- (President, 1993)
Mentor, Law Society of Saskatchewan Mentor Program
Member, Saskatchewan Justice Committee on proposed revisions to Personal
Property Security Act, 1991-96
Member, Canadian Bar Association Legislation and Law Reform Committee
(Saskatchewan Branch), 1988-98
Community Involvement
Chair, Board of Trustees, MacKenzie Art Gallery Inc., 2000-01
President, United Way of Regina, 1994-95
Member, Mayor's Advisory Committee, Regina Crime Prevention Council
Minor Hockey Coach
Publications
"Title Opinions in Commercial Mortgage Transactions"
Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc., 1998
"Trade Creditor Remedies"
Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), Mid-Winter Meeting, 1997
"Views From the Bar: Recent Judicial Decisions on The Personal Property
Security Act"
Canadian Conference on Personal Property Security Law, 1997
"Commercial Lease Checklist"
Saskatchewan Practice Checklist, The Law Society of Saskatchewan and
Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc., 1997
"Directors' Liabilities, Landlords' Rights, & Practice Tips"
Saskatchewan Trial Lawyers Association, Fall Conference Practice Before the
Courts, 1997
"Garnishability of Guaranteed Investment Certificates: Boon for Garnisheeing
Creditors and Bane for Deposit Institutions"
Bank of Montreal v. I.M. Krisp Foods Ltd, 13 Banking and Finance Law Review
317, 1996
"Recent Developments in Banking Law and Secured Transactions"
Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), Mid-Winter Meeting, 1996
"Loss Prevention Issues Arising From The Personal Property Security Act,
1993"
Loss Prevention 1995, Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc., 1995
"Tracing of Proceeds into Bank Accounts: New Protection for Financial
Institutions"
Flexi-Coil Ltd. v. Kindersley District Credit Union Ltd., 9 Banking and Financing
Law Review 391, 1994
"Assignment of Rental Payments"
Preparing for Changes to PPSA 1993, Saskatchewan Legal Education Society
Inc., 1994
"The PPSA 1993"
Loss Prevention 1994, Saskatchewan Legal Education Society Inc., 1994
"The Personal Property Security Act, 1992: Just When You Thought You
Understood The Law..."
Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), Mid-Winter Meeting, 1993
"Creation, Maintenance and Tracing of Purchase-Money Security Interests:
ACS v. Pettyjohn; Battlefords Credit Union Limited v. Ilnicki"
Banking and Finance Law Review, 1992
"Novation: National Trust Co. v. Mead"
6 Banking and Finance Law Review 361, 1990
"Unregistered Leases in Bankruptcy: An Integration of Provincial and Federal
Legislation"
5 Banking and Finance Law Review 102, 1988-89
"Recent Developments in Banking Law"
Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), Mid-Winter Meeting, 1989
"Book Review of Cuming and Wood"
A Handbook on The Saskatchewan Personal Property Security Act, 3 Banking
Finance Law Review 110, 1988-89
"Validity and Enforceability of Bank Act Security: Bank of Montreal v. Hall"
Banking and Financing Law Review, 1987
"Liability of Guarantors and the Obligations owed to Primary Debtors: Bank of
Nova Scotia v. Ham"
Banking and Finance Law Review, 1987
"Guidelines for Secured Financing in the Province of Saskatchewan"
Insight Education Services Seminars, Secured Financing Across Canada,
November 25, 1987, Reprinted November, 1989
"Attachment of Debts Act"
Canadian Bar Association (Saskatchewan Branch), Mid-Winter Meeting, 1983
"The Canadian Treaty Power: Decidedly Anachronistic, Potentially
Antagonistic"
44 Saskatchewan Law Review, 1979-80
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