Background & Experience
Michael Mazzuca is a Partner at Koskie Minsky LLP and the Practice Co-ordinator of the firm’s Pensions and Employee Benefits Group. Michael has extensive experience in providing legal advice across Canada to multi-employer pension plans (MEPPs), jointly sponsored pension plans and other jointly governed plans, including health and welfare plans and training funds. He also advises trade unions as well as plan member and retiree groups across Canada concerning legal matters related to plan governance, fiduciary duties and plan investments.
Michael’s experience includes litigating significant pension and benefit cases before administrative tribunals and various levels of court across Canada, including the BC Supreme Court. Michael has represented clients on matters relating to statutory and regulatory compliance, including partial wind-ups and funding requirements
Michael is an adjunct professor at the University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Law, Chair of the Legal Advisory Committee of the Ontario Financial Services Tribunal, Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, Pension and Benefits Section, Director of the Multi-Employer Benefit Plan Council of Canada and a regular speaker at conferences on pensions and employee benefits
Representative Matters
- Michael has been a prominent advocate opposed to Federal Bill C-377. He has made submissions on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association to both the Federal Standing Committee on Finance and the Senate Banking Committee.
- Michael has acted for several Multi-Employer Pension Plan in advocating for funding rules that recognize the unique nature of such plans.
- Michael has acted as lead counsel in representing a group of pensioners in one of the first pension class actions to go to trial in British Columbia.
Education
- University of Toronto – J.D. – (1990)
Associations
- Canadian Bar Association – National Pension and Employee Benefits Law Section – (Past Chair)
- Multi-Employer Benefits Council of Canada (MEBCO) – (Director)
- International Pension and Employee Benefits Lawyers Association
Awards & Rankings
- Chambers and Partners – Pensions & Benefits (Canada)
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – Pensions & Employee Benefits – Consistently Recommended
- Best Lawyers – Employee Benefits Law
Publications
- Recent articles in both The National magazine and The Lawyers’ Weekly