Michael Eizenga is Senior Partner and Co-Chair of the Class Actions practice group at Bennett Jones practicing out of the firm's Vancouver and Toronto offices. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law teaching "Class Actions". Among other published works, he is author of The Class Actions Handbook and co-author of Class Actions Law and Practice. He is a recipient of the Law Society Medal, recognizing his undisputed leadership in the Class Action Bar and outstanding commitment to public service.
He has acted in some of the country's most important class actions and today Michael is regarded as one of Canada's go-to defense counsel for companies facing complex class actions. He has been named Canadian Class Action Litigator of the Year in six of the last eight years by Benchmark Canada. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he has also been named annually to the publication Best Lawyers in Canada since its inaugural edition and is ranked by Chambers and Partners (Band One) for his expertise in Dispute Resolution: Class Actions. He is listed in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and Lexpert Guide to the Leading U.S./Canada Cross Border Litigation Lawyers.
Michael advises and represents clients on all issues relating to complex commercial litigation and class proceedings, including consumer class actions, privacy and data breach matters, product liability, and competition and securities cases. He has been appointed Special Master by the Superior Court of Justice in three class actions and amicus curiae in a major class action appeal.
A frequent lecturer and author, Michael has presented domestically and internationally to organizations such as the International Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, the Canadian Institute and the Advocates' Society.