Michael Simms

About Michael

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Michael is a Board Director and Partner in the firm’s Halifax office. He previously spent several years as senior counsel at the Canadian head offices of a major international oil and gas company. Mike has extensive commercial and regulatory experience in energy, natural resources and environmental matters, with a particular focus on oil and gas – both onshore and offshore.

Mike has worked on numerous complex energy and natural resources projects, including offshore and onshore oil & gas projects; mining projects; joint venture arrangements; LNG export & import facilities; pipelines and processing facilities; refinery projects; gas distribution systems; carbon capture and sequestration; and renewable energy projects. He also provides advice on competition law (including merger review and conspiracy provisions); health, safety & environment; and other compliance matters, including the development and implementation of corporate compliance programs.

Michael holds an LL.B. and a certificate in Marine and Environmental law from Dalhousie University.  He was called to the Bar in Nova Scotia in 2002 and in Alberta in 2006.  He is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association.

Mike is a frequent presenter at energy and environmental law conferences, and previously taught oil and gas law at the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University for several years.  He is also past chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section. Mike is listed in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and has been recognized as a prominent practitioner of environmental law in the Maritimes by Chambers Canada 2018 and Best Lawyers™ in Canada. He has been named Best Lawyers® 2022 Energy Law “Lawyer of the Year”.

His papers and presentations include: Confidentiality of Seismic Data, Canadian Petroleum Law Foundation East Coast Seminar 2007 (Dalhousie Law Journal, vol. 30, no. 2); Managing Relationships in Environmental Incidents, Americas Legal Conference 2008; Introduction to Regulatory Investigations, CCCA Fall Training Camp 2009; Contaminated Sites Regulatory Regime in Atlantic Canada, Atlantic Canada Contaminated Sites Conference 2011; Canada and the Northwest Passage, Arctic Shipping Conference, Helsinki 2011; and Onshore Oil & Gas Regimes in Atlantic Canada, Canadian Energy Law Foundation Conference 2011.

Mike is also an accomplished sailor. He was North American Laser Champion in 1997, represented Canada at the 1999 World University Games and placed 2nd at the 2000 Olympic Trials.  He continues his involvement with sailing as an Appeal Panel Member for the Canadian Sailing Team and as a volunteer sailing coach and judge.