About Michael
Michael is a Partner in our St. John’s office whose practice is focused on real property law, municipal tax law and related litigation. He has a keen interest in litigation, interest-based negotiation and mediation techniques and has litigated real estate, mortgage, guarantee, land use, zoning, municipal tax sale, municipal assessment, and expropriation cases.
Michael has acted for Mortgagees in numerous security realizations, particularly powers of sale. He has chaired an Expropriation Panel and has been a frequent presenter at Canadian Property Tax Association and Appraisal Institute of Canada Conferences. Michael has been particularly involved in Municipal Tax Assessment and Expropriation cases involving appraisal issues such as value in use, value to owner, market value, enterprise value, ransom strips, marriage value and blackmail value. Michael was counsel in 3263083 Canada Ltd. (Labatt Brewery) v. St. John’s (City) (2005), 245 Nfld. & P.E.I.R., affirmed 205 N.L.C.A. 76 and in Gander International Airport Authority v. Gander (Town) 2008 N.L.T.D. 181, both of which are leading cases in municipal tax assessment law in Canada. In the Gander Airport case, Michael had the tax assessment reduced from $24,000,000 to $1. Michael has litigated assessment cases in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Michael was named Queen’s Counsel in April, 2010.
Education
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LL.B., Queen's University (1982)
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B.A. (Hons.), Queen's University (1979)
Bar Admissions
- Newfoundland & Labrador (1983)
