Bio

Michael Osborne helps businesses navigate competition (antitrust), foreign investment, and other regulatory regimes, and resolve commercial disputes. Michael's 25 years' experience and broad practice enable him to identify an achievable outcome that best aligns with his clients' goals, and to work towards achieving that outcome. Michael advises and defends clients from around the world in inquiries and proceedings commenced by the Competition Bureau, including criminal matters, abuse of dominance, and marketing and advertising matters. He defends clients in private proceedings under the Competition Act, including price fixing class actions. Michael helps clients obtain merger clearance under the Competition Act and the Investment Canada Act, including national security reviews under the Investment Canada Act. Clients also seek out Michael's representation in a wide range of commercial disputes, including contractual disputes, shareholders' disputes, commercial fraud, and employment matters. Michael has acted as trial and appellate counsel before all levels of court across the country, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has tried several cases before the Competition Tribunal and appeared as counsel before arbitral tribunals in international and domestic arbitrations, both institutional and ad hoc. He is also qualified as an arbitrator. Michael frequently speaks and writes on competition law and commercial litigation topics. Michael earned his law degree from Dalhousie University, his master's degree in medieval studies from the University of Toronto, and his undergraduate degree in philosophy, with high honors, from the University of Saskatchewan. Following law school, Michael was a law clerk to the late Honorable Justice John Sopinka with the Supreme Court of Canada. He is bilingual in English and French. Before joining the firm, Michael was a partner at a leading Canadian national firm.