Michael L. Byers

Practice Areas

Michael is an experienced litigator whose practice focuses on corporate/commercial, securities and complex employment disputes.

His corporate/commercial litigation practice includes breach of contract claims, shareholder and oppression disputes, commercial arbitration, class actions, insolvency litigation, cross-border issues, professional liability, fraud claims, transactional disputes, and insurance litigation. Michael’s securities litigation practice includes significant experience in investigations and proceedings conducted by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) and other securities regulators, investment loss claims, securityholder issues in bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings, securities class actions, and broker/dealer disputes (with significant experience assisting both dealer clients and advisors on issues and claims arising from a broker or advisor’s changing firms and related employment or contractual disputes). Michael leverages his expertise in the capital markets and knowledge of the securities regulatory landscape to assist employers and employees in wrongful dismissal matters, with particular experience in employment litigation in the financial services sector and disputes involving complex financial and damages quantification issues or allegations of cause.

Michael has worked with a broad range of corporate and individual clients, as well as insurers and regulators. He has particular experience in disputes in the financial services, securities, mining and natural resources, software and technology, cannabis, cryptocurrency, and accounting sectors.

Michael has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in Ontario, arbitral tribunals, and administrative tribunals including the Ontario Securities Commission (now Capital Markets Tribunal), the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO, formerly, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and the Mutual Fund Dealers Association), the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, and the British Columbia Securities Commission. Michael also has experience in proceedings before the courts of other provinces, and in assisting clients in investigations and proceedings commenced by regulatory bodies across the country, including FSRA, provincial insurance councils, and provincial securities regulators.