THE ADVOCATE 595
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
ance to carrying a reliable electronic device to counter his profoundly challenged
navigational abilities contributed to many of the best stories.
In further disregard of his geolocational shortcomings, Mike’s love of
adventure led him during one stage of his life to develop a single-minded
focus on learning how to fly a plane. Fortunately, his attention to detail also
motivated him to study reports on aviation accidents and plane fatalities
and come up with spreadsheets and protocols that he laminated to reduce
the risk of errors while flying. After receiving his pilot’s licence, one of his
greatest pleasures was to fly to Seattle with his beloved grandfather to
attend a Mariners baseball game.
Mike’s greatest treasures are his wife, Lori, and daughter, Sydney. Lori’s
serenity and artistic nature are a perfect complement to Mike’s creative
energy, and Mike’s devotion to flight has now been redirected to equestrian
pursuits, through which he can share Sydney’s passion for horses.
Mike attended Queen’s University for the whole of his post-secondary
education, arriving in 1986 and departing 12 years later with a B.A., an M.A.
(economics) and an LL.B. Even allowing for several years spent working at
the Competition Bureau of Canada between his master’s degree and his law
degree, he acknowledges that he spent longer in Kingston than many of the
inmates at the local maximum-security prison.
After graduating law school in 1998, Mike returned to Vancouver to article
at Harper Grey LLP and ended up spending his entire career at the firm
until his appointment to the Supreme Court of British Columbia on February
7, 2022. He had a diverse litigation practice, which varied in focus over
his career but concentrated on personal injury (both plaintiff and defence),
insurance law and health law, with an occasional foray into the realm of
class actions.
Mike was known for the dedication he brought to advancing his clients’
interests, but his commitment to fairness did not end when he left the office.
After a social event in Seattle, the taxi in which he was riding was struck by
a vehicle that ran a red light and then fled the scene. The taxi driver
expressed concern that the police would blame him for the accident. Sure
enough, upon arriving at the scene, the attending officers began to question
the unfortunate cabbie aggressively. This continued until Mike returned to
the scene with the detached bumper and licence plate belonging to the hitand
run vehicle he had managed to locate a short distance away. In the face
of that evidence, the officers redirected their investigation.
Mike was extremely generous with his time as a mentor. Junior lawyers
enjoyed working with him because he believes the best way to learn is by
doing. He has a keen eye for the critical issues and provided canny and
thoughtful advice. He welcomed his juniors into his home for regular din-