Michael D. Burgess

I am an articling student with the litigation group at Bereskin & Parr's Toronto office. I previously worked with the construction and engineering litigation group at BLG's Vancouver office. Before law school, I worked as naval architect and marine engineer for a leading commercial ship design firm in Vancouver, British Columbia.

During law school, I participated on an international exchange to London, England, where I attended the Center for Transnational Legal Studies. CTLS, as it is more commonly known, is an educational partnership between a variety of law schools from around the globe. Each school sends a selection of students and faculty members to learn about each other's different legal systems and about transnational law generally.

As a law student, I was heavily involved in extra-curriculars. I volunteered with a small environmental non-profit group through Pro Bono Students Canada, I volunteered with Artists' Legal Advice Services as well as the Law in Action Within Schools program, and I was the Executive Editor of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review.

Before law school, I completed an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at The University of British Columbia, with a specialized focus in thermofluids and naval architecture. While completing my undergraduate degree, I completed several co-op education work terms with BC Ferries, British Columbia's provincial ferry service, and Robert Allan Ltd, one of the world's premier ship design firms. Upon graduation, I began full-time employment with Robert Allan Ltd where I worked on a variety of international ship design and consulting projects.

Outside of work and school, I love to travel, play squash, golf, ski, sail, and scuba dive. To learn more about my professional life, check out my Linkedin profile. Or to learn a bit about my travels, have a look at my travel blog.