Principal - Girard Law Office
6 Adelaide Street East, Suite 710
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1H6
Telephone: 416-203-3127
Fax: 416-913-1886
E-Mail: mgirard@CACounsel.com
Areas of Practice:
Profile:
Michael joined Hughes, Amys LLP in 1985 where he was a partner from 1988 till he established Girard Law Office in 2004. He practices civil litigation with emphasis on professional liability (accountants and lawyers), technology, products liability, construction litigation, insurance policy drafting and coverage.
In addition to appellate practice, civil jury and non-jury trials in Ontario, Michael has also represented clients in litigation in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and acted as cooperating counsel in several U.S. jurisdictions.
Education:
1978-80 University of Windsor, Faculty of Science, B.Sc. (Mathematics)
1980-83 University of Windsor, Faculty of Law, LL.B.
1985 Admitted to the Ontario Bar
1996-98 Osgoode Hall, York University, LL.M. (Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution)
1998 LL.M Major Paper: Cyberconflicts - Jurisdiction and Choice of Law on the Internet
· The Duty to Defend, 1989 (Insurance Seminar)
· Improving Lawyers' Productivity with Technology (Law Society of Upper Canada; Technology for Lawyers '89)
· Misrepresentations and Omissions in Insurance Applications in Ontario, W.S. Wigle and M.E. Girard, 1989 (Canadian Institute)
· Environmental Legislation, 1990 (Insurance Seminar)
· Technology in the Litigation Process, 1991 (The Reporter)
· Liability of Financial Advisors - Accountants, Auditors and Stockbrokers, 1993 (Canadian Bar Association - Ontario Annual Institute)
· The Proposed Environmental Bill of Rights, 1992 Insurance Law News
· Class Proceedings Act, 1992, Environews
· Managing the Information Flow in Complex Environmental Litigation, 1993 (Insurance Claims Seminar - Executive Enterprises)
· Directors and Officers Liability - Dia Met, 1996 (Insurance Seminar)
· The Millennium Bug - Year 2000 Liability, 1998 (Insurance Seminar)
· Insurance Law News, (1989 - 1992) (Canadian Bar Association - Ontario)
· EnviroNews, (1991 - 1994) (Canadian Bar Association - Ontario)
· Computers in Litigation Practice, 1988 through 1997 (Law Society of Upper Canada CLE)
· Use of Computers in the Practice of Civil Litigation, 1988 through 1990 (Bar Admission Course)
· Professional Responsibility and Practice Management, 1990 through 1992 (Bar Admission Course)
· Advocacy, 1993 through 2002 (Bar Admission Course)
· Panel: Stump the Experts, (Law Society of Upper Canada; Technology for Lawyers '91)
· Using Computers in Litigation Practice: A Day in the Life of a Litigator, (Law Society of Upper Canada, Technology for Lawyers '92)
· Insurance Coverage for Environmental Claims, 1993 (Canadian Institute)
· Coverage for Environmental Claims under the Commercial General Liability Policy, 1993 (Insight)
· Understanding the Basics of Environmental Claims - Common Law Liability for Pollution, 1993 (Executive Enterprises)
· The Environmental Bill of Rights: A New Civil Cause of Action, 1994 (Law Society of Upper Canada, Canadian Bar Association - Ontario)
· Fiduciary Obligations of Financial Advisors, 1995 (Insurance Seminar)
· Comprehensive General Liability, Business Interruption and All Risks Policies, 1999 (LEXPERT).
· The Importation of U.S. Litigation Management Systems to Canada; A Canadian Perspective, 2000 (LEXPERT).
· Accountant's Liability, What if Enron Happened in Canada, 2002 (Professional Liability Underwriters' Society)
· Employment Liability Risks, 2002 (ORIMS)
· The Proliferation of Claims against Directors, Officers and Employees Personally, 2002 (Insight)
· Advocacy Training 2002-2003 (Advocates Society)
· Professional Productivity Panel; Technology for Lawyers '89
· Plenary sessions of Technology for Lawyers '90, the Law Society of Upper Canada.
· 1993 Institute of Continuing Legal Education - To Err and Have Coverage - The Insured Professional, Canadian Bar Association - Ontario.
Executive Committee of the Insurance Section of the CBA-O (1988 - 1992)
Faculty of Computer Education of the Law Society of Upper Canada (1990 - 1997)
Executive Committee of the Environmental Section of the CBA-O (1991 - 1994)
CBA-O Task Force on the Environmental Bill of Rights
Steering Committee of the Electronic Court Filing Project of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Courts Administration (Integrated Justice) (1995-2001)
Appointed by the Attorney General to the Class Proceedings Committee (1999-2002)
Memberships
Law Society of Upper Canada; Toronto Lawyers Association; Canadian Bar Association; Advocates Society; American Bar Association; Defence Research Institute.