He has tackled corporate and commercial disputes as well as class actions
MLT Aikins has brought Michael O’Brien into its Calgary office as a litigation group partner, bringing his significant experience with corporate and commercial disputes and bolstering the firm’s offering in Western Canada.
O’Brien has handled disputes involving energy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property. He has served as lead counsel in high-profile cases, litigated data breach incidents, and appeared before all levels of court in Alberta, the Federal Court, the Land & Property Rights Tribunal, and the Alberta Human Rights Commission.
For over two decades, he has acted for clients in complex commercial and civil litigation matters. He has also taken on class actions and has been involved in mediations and arbitration, acting in complex multi-party proceedings.
A partner in MLT Aikins’ advocacy group, O’Brien’s practice covers real property litigation as well. Recently, he was lead counsel for Suncor Energy Inc. in TotalEnergies EP Canada v. Suncor Energy Inc., 2023 ABKB 59, where he defended an action aiming to set aside a $1 billion deal.
He also defended a patent claim worth $12 billion as co-counsel and defended class actions involving claims exceeding $100 million for Canadian and US financial institutions; the class actions arose from supposed Ponzi schemes. Moreover, he secured a high-profile mandatory injunction against a statutory corporation.
O’Brien summarily dismissed a putative class action against ENMAX Energy Corporation worth $30 million. He also defended ENMAX in a $600 million action brought by Alberta’s attorney general; the action sought to set aside a provision in an instrument under which it was terminated, per MLT Aikins.
He has represented energy companies in power purchase arrangement disputes. He acted as litigation counsel to Philips Electronics, enforcing a forum selection clause that stayed a number of related Alberta Actions. In addition, he has served as independent supervising solicitor on Anton Pillar orders.
Prior to making the move to MLT Aikins, which took effect on August 1, O’Brien was a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP where he spent over 21 years, per LinkedIn.
