Michael S.F. Watson

Michael Watson is a partner in Gowling WLG's Toronto office, practising in the area of corporate and commercial litigation, administrative law, and employment and labour relations.

Michael handles a wide variety of commercial, energy, constitutional and administrative matters. He has appeared before all levels of courts in Ontario, in the Federal Court of Canada, and in the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as the trial and appellate courts of Alberta.

Throughout his career, Michael has been heavily involved in legal education in Ontario, in the fields of civil procedure and trial advocacy. He is recognized as one of the leading experts on civil procedure in the province, speaking to Ontario Superior Court judges on various trial advocacy and civil procedure topics, as well as in various programs for The Law Society of Upper Canada, The Advocates' Society, Osgoode Hall Law School and l'Université de Moncton.

Michael is adjunct professor of law at Osgoode Hall Law School, where he has taught Civil Procedure II (advanced topics in civil procedure) to upper year students since 1985. He has also been a senior instructor at the Intensive Advocacy Workshop at Osgoode Hall Law School since 1984, and is recipient of the Law School’s Adjunct Faculty Distinguished Service Award. From 1994 to 2004, he was provincial head of the Civil Litigation Section of the Law Society of Upper Canada’s Bar Admission Course.

Michael is also a member of Ontario's 4-member Civil Rules Secrtariat, which advises the Civil Rules Committee on revisions to the Rules of Civil Procedure.

Michael is an experienced amateur astronomer and astrophotographer, has held various executive positions as a member of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and as its legal counsel.