The appointment of Michael D. Briggs, a partner in our Litigation and Dispute Resolution group, as King's Counsel in Alberta, is a significant honour which recognizes his extensive and outstanding contributions to the legal profession, his clients and the community.
Michael is a seasoned litigator with a wealth of experience conducting all aspects of complex commercial disputes, including domestic and international arbitrations as well as mediations, and appearing before the Courts in multiple Canadian and international jurisdictions. His expertise includes energy, construction, real estate, shareholder and other corporate/contract matters.
"This is a well-deserved honour for an outstanding colleague and partner," says Greg McIlwain, Office Management Partner of McMillan in Calgary. "Michael's appointment as King's Counsel is a testament to the challenging legal work in which he is recognized as an expert, the trust and confidence of his clients, the respect and confidence of fellow lawyers and the Bench, and, above all, to his leadership in contributing to the legal profession."
Michael's approach to dispute resolution reflects his client-centered philosophy that recognizes at root there is a commercial problem that needs solving. The first task is to develop a fulsome understanding of where the client is now and how they got there, as well as what their desired outcome is and why that is important. A practical process is then designed to move efficiently towards the desired outcome.
Dedicating much of his time to the future of the legal profession, he has been involved in the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law's mooting, debating and advocacy programs for over 25 years, as well as having been a principal to nine articling students to date. His investment in community includes being a member of, and investigator for, the Discipline Committee of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories, and helping start the Calgary Elementary School Mock Trial program.
Michael is also an active speaker, including regularly for the Association of Corporate Counsel in Calgary, as well as author on a variety of topics including alternative dispute resolution, effective advocacy and arbitral practice.
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