Michael Hargraves

Michael has been practising law in British Columbia for over 20 years. Since 2007, he has dedicated his practice to acting for local governments in a solicitor’s role. That time includes many years in private practice as outside counsel as well as significant in-house service. Michael was Municipal Solicitor for the District of Saanich from 2017-2022.

Michael is a past chair of the Municipal Law Section of the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch), an engaging public speaker and conference presenter, and the author of many articles on legal subjects of interest to local government staff and elected officials.

Core areas of Michael’s experience include real property matters, contracts, land use planning and development, bylaw drafting and interpretation, procurement, risk management, construction, expropriation, conflicts of interest, constitutional law, and governance.

At Lidstone & Company, Michael will focus on real property and land use and development matters, while assisting with other local government matters from time to time as well.

Outside of law practice and family life, Michael enjoys creative writing, playing guitar, learning new languages, getting absorbed in a good book, and running and hiking the trails of southern Vancouver Island.

EDUCATION

• B.A. Simon Fraser University, 2001
  
• LL. B. University of British Columbia, 2004
• The Writers Studio. Simon Fraser University, 2025

MEMBERSHIPS & AFFILIATIONS

• Law Society of British Columbia
• Canadian Bar Association