Overview
Michael Koch is a partner in a business law group and the Competition and Foreign Investment Group at Goodmans.
His practice focuses on federal regulatory matters, including competition, communications, foreign investment and copyright law, in both transactions and litigation.
Michael assists financial and strategic investors - both domestic and foreign - in completing mergers and acquisitions, advises and represents telecommunications and media companies in navigating Canada’s regulatory framework and before tribunals (e.g., the CRTC, Copyright Board of Canada and Competition Tribunal), and advocates on behalf of targets of government-initiated investigations and proceedings brought by the Competition Bureau. Michael also appears before the courts on reviews of, and appeals from, decisions of these bodies.
Michael is recognized as a leading lawyer in Canada in the areas of telecommunications by Chambers Global, Chambers Canada, The Legal 500 Canada, The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, the Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences and Best Lawyers in Canada.
Featured Work
Michael’s representative work includes acting for:
Competition Litigation
- Vancouver Airport Authority in the defense of a landmark abuse of dominance application before the Competition Tribunal
- Trader Corp. in private litigation before the Competition Tribunal
- Comwave Networks Inc. in the defence of a deceptive marketing inquiry concerning advertising claims of their Internet and home phone services
Investment Canada Act Approvals
- Vista Equity Partners in its agreement to acquire DH Corporation and combine D+H with its portfolio company, Misys for $4.8 billion
- Leadon Investment Inc. in its acquisition of British Columbia Investment Management Corp.’s Canadian hotel portfolio, SilverBirch Hotels & Resorts, for over $1 billion
- OMERS Private Equity, the private equity arm of OMERS, in the sale of its portfolio company, Give & Go Prepared Foods Corp. to an affiliate of US private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P.
- Match.com Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of The Match Group, in its US$575 million cash acquisition of PlentyOfFish Media Inc.
Competition Act Clearances
- Postmedia Network Inc. in connection with its acquisition of the Sun Media English language newspapers and digital properties from Quebecor Media Inc. for $305 million
- 7-Eleven Canada Inc. in its acquisition of 144 retail gasoline sites from Imperial Oil
Awards & Recognition
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Chambers Canada Band 3, Telecommunications and Broadcasting 2024
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The Legal 500 Canada Leading Individual, Telecoms 2024
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Best Lawyers in Canada Recognized, Communications Law, Competition/Antitrust Law 2024
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Chambers Global Band 3, Telecommunications and Broadcasting 2023
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Who's Who Legal Recognized National Leader, Competition 2023
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Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences Recognized, Canada's Leading Technology and Health Sciences Lawyers 2023
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Michael writes and speaks frequently for the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association and University of Toronto on competition law, administrative law, communications regulation and copyright law, and is a past Chair of the Canada Bar Association’s Competition Section’s Unilateral Practices Committee.
Community Involvement
Michael is a proud kidney donor and serves as an ambassador for Renewal to promote live kidney donation.
Education
- University of Toronto, LL.B., 1986
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canada Bar Association
- American Bar Association
Call to Bar
- Ontario
Insights
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Competition and Foreign Investment
Canada Expands Misleading Advertising Rules and Creates New Private Litigation for Misleading Advertising
The Government of Canada has proposed legislation to amend the Competition Act (the “Act”) to, among other things, (i) expand the scope of what constitutes misleading advertising, and (ii) permit… -
Competition and Foreign Investment
Canada Radically Expands Private Competition Law Litigation
The Government of Canada has proposed legislation that will amend the Competition Act (the “Act”) to permit (i) far more private competition law litigation, and (ii) the awarding of significant new… -
Competition and Foreign Investment
Canada Substantially Overhauls Merger Control Standards and Procedures
The Government of Canada proposes a number of new amendments to the Competition Act (the “Act”) that will make it easier for the Competition Bureau to challenge mergers. This follows the Government’s… -
Competition and Foreign Investment
Government of Canada Introduces Legislation to Amend the Competition Act, end the “Efficiencies Defence”
Last week, the Government of Canada announced its intention to amend the Competition Act (the “Act”) in three ways. Yesterday, the government introduced Bill C-56, draft legislation that implements… -
Competition and Foreign Investment
Government of Canada announces changes to the Competition Act: end of the “efficiencies defence”, return of compelled information production for market studies
On September 14, 2023, the Government of Canada announced its “fighting for the middle class” legislative plan. As part of that plan, the government intends to make substantial changes to the… -
Competition and Foreign Investment
The Public Competition Enforcement Review 15th Edition - Canada Chapter
Michael Koch, David Rosner, Devin Persaud, Josh Zelikovitz and Jon Wall co-authored the Canada Chapter of The Public Competition Enforcement Review 145h Edition. The Public Competition…
News & Events
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Banking and Financial Services
Who's Who Legal Continues to Recognize Goodmans in the Canada 2023 Guide
We are pleased to share Goodmans lawyers have been recognized across Who's Who Legal's National Guide: Canada 2023. WWL National Guides identify national or regional leaders in a sector, industry… -
Banking and Financial Services
Goodmans Continues to Receive Top Tier Recognition from The Legal 500 Canada
We are pleased to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top tier recognition from The Legal 500 Canada in their 2024 Guide released today. Recognition from The Legal 500 is based on… -
Mergers and Acquisitions
Chambers and Partners Continues to Honour Goodmans with Top-Tier Recognition
We are delighted to announce Goodmans LLP has once again received top-tier recognition from Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Canada 2024 Guide released today. Recognition from…