Michelle is a Canadian lawyer whose practice focuses on fertility law (covering surrogacy laws and third party reproduction laws) and family law.
As a fertility and surrogacy lawyer based in Toronto, Michelle is a passionate and tireless champion for couples facing infertility, for gay and lesbian couples wanting to start a family, for single people looking to grow a family alone, and for surrogate mothers and egg, sperm and embryo donors assisting in the process.
Michelle’s expertise includes negotiating and drafting agreements related to surrogacy, co-parenting, egg, sperm and embryo donations, making court applications for declarations of parentage, step-parent adoptions and other legal issues related to third party reproduction.
Michelle works in the greater Toronto area, across Canada and internationally with intended parents and surrogate mothers, and egg, sperm and embryo donors. She speaks at conferences on the topic of fertility and surrogacy law and has provided legal advice to fertility clinics and hospitals on contract laws and compliance with Canadian assisted human reproduction laws and regulations.
Prior to opening her own law office in 2011, Michelle was a partner at Dickson MacGregor Appell LLP, Canada’s largest all-women law firm, practicing in the areas of fertility law and family law. She began her legal career at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Canada’s largest law firm, where she gained invaluable experience litigating and negotiating in all areas of family law including custody, access, support and division of property.
Michelle graduated with top honours with her BA (Hons. Psych.) from McGill University in 1997 and her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2001. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2002 and is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, Fertility Matters, the Advocates’ Society and the 519 Church Street Community Centre.
