Michael S. Rankin Partner Ottawa Tel : 613.232.7171 Ext. 111 Fax : 613.231.3191 Email : michael.rankin@mcmillan.ca VCard :

Professional Activities

• Partner as of 1992
• Member of the firm's Commercial Litigation and Family Law Groups. Practice includes Charter, civil and commercial litigation, family and criminal law matters

Michael is a Senior Litigation Counsel in civil, commercial, family and criminal law, and other areas involving extensive representation at both trial and appellate levels. For several years, he was a member of the firm's Supreme Court of Canada Practice Group conducting agency and counsel work at the Supreme Court. He assisted and provided strategic advice on applications for leave to appeal, appeals and motions.

In his commercial and civil litigation practice, Michael covers a broad range of proceedings, including procurement litigation, commercial and corporate disputes, actions under the Fraudulent Conveyances and the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

Michael's family law practice includes divorce, child and spousal support, property settlement, custody and access, domestic contracts and other enforcement matters.

Practicing a philosophy that "to be successful one must possess strong people skills in addition to strong legal skills", Michael is a patient listener who communicates clearly and concisely with empathy and concern. Beyond the substantive law, he endeavours to understand and address the needs of his clients in case guidance.

Michael distinguishes himself, not only with his exceptional and broad-based background, but also in the way he manages each file uniquely. With dedication, he strategizes innovative approaches to avoid the courtroom where possible. When cases do go to court, whether acting as plaintiff or defence, Michael challenges, leads and negotiates with determination and conviction. He is respected and well recognized for his considerable achievements in highly contentious proceedings in all areas of his expertise.

Michael provides mentoring to students and associates, and is frequently requested to be a resource for others in the firm in unique and highly involved issues.

Memberships

• Canadian Bar Association
• County of Carleton Law Association
• Criminal Lawyers' Association

Teaching Engagements

• Guest Lecturer on "Advocacy," a Bar Admission Course for the Law Society of Upper Canada.
• Guest Lecturer invited to address the Law Department at Carleton University. 
• Acted as Articling Principle for many years in the supervision of students at Lang Michener and chaired the Student Committee. The committee provides processes for extensive teaching experience including internal seminars and mentoring.

Media Mentions 

• Michael Rankin is appearing on an expert panel discussing the O'Brien trial on Madely in the Morning . The panel discusses the Larry O'Brien trial (Ottawa Mayor), every Tuesday morning, and will continue these discussions until the trial is finished.
• Michael also appeared on CBC National News with reporter Leslie MacKinnon to comment on Brian Mulroney's testimony in the Oliphant inquiry, and acted as legal analyst on Ottawa's A Channel with Sandra Blaikie commenting on the Larry O'Brien trial.
• He was a featured source in an article titled Canucks Paid $14.2 Million: Feds Spent $24 Million On Outside Legal Counsel in a June 2009 edition of Law Times . In the article Michael discusses the major construction litigation case that the firm worked for the federal government in 2008.

• Counsel to the City of Ottawa in a wide range of civil and commercial disputes, including procurement litigation, contract disputes, personal injury, and libel and slander actions.
• Lead counsel for the City of Ottawa in the challenge to the Smoke Free Bylaws which banned smoking in public places and work places. This covered arguing the legality of the bylaws at both the trial and appeal level, injunction proceedings, and by law enforcement and prosecutions. The winning defence of this has led to Ottawa being used as a national and international model for the implementation of smoke free bylaws and legislation.
• Lead counsel for the City of Ottawa, on behalf of a member of City Council, in a libel and slander action brought by another member of City Council.
• Defended successfully complex litigation involving a libel and slander claim against a Member of Parliament and which included actions in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division).
• Counsel to Carleton University for many years in claims of commercial disputes, procurement litigation, student and faculty complaints and actions involving matters of internal governance.
• Provided defence counsel for professionals / members responding to complaints filed with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and the Professional Engineers Association of Ontario.
• Acted as Standing Agent for the Department of Justice from 1988 to 2000 conducting prosecutions under the Narcotics Control Act, Food and Drug Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act¸ Income Tax Act, Canada Labour Code, etc.

• Quasi-criminal practice involving both prosecution and defence of charges under the Highway Traffic Act¸ Occupational Health and Safety Act and numerous other regulatory statutes, by-law prosecutions and defence involving municipal governments.

Seminars and Presentations

Noted speaker invited to address a wide range of topics at seminars in areas of family law, young offenders, federal prosecutions, and civil and commercial litigation. More recent engagements include:

• Presentation, "Questioning under the Family Law Rules," Canadian Bar Association.
• Speaker, "Collecting Costs," for the Family Law Section and the Carleton County of Law Association at the Civil Litigation Conference.

March 2010 False Imputations About Business Lang Michener LLP InBrief Spring 2010

June 2009 Business Implications of Not Having a Privacy Interest in Your Refuse Lang Michener LLP InBrief Summer 2009

2000 Annotated Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Carswell, 2000;  a book which details and provides commentary on all appellant and Supreme Court of