Michael Oykhman

I am a senior lawyer at Savage Oykhman Law (an association of independent practices) and am the founder of Strategic Criminal Defence, a full-service criminal law firm with central law offices across Western Canada and Ontario. My professional experience consists of countless court appearances and thousands of successful defences and satisfied clients. Over the last 15+ years, I have worked to build a law office where we all share our collective experience, resources, and passion to help people. Our lawyers are guided by core values of service, results, integrity, teamwork, drive, and strategy. Our team approach to legal representation is client–rather than only law–centred. We look for opportunities to add value to our clients through strategic thinking and creative solutions.

Not every case is won through trial. In fact, the best results are often achieved through alternative resolution strategies, so that the matter never gets to trial. Although I am trained as a trial lawyer, I prefer to be viewed as a problem solver. My goal is to provide each and every client with the top quality of care and the best result possible.

In my professional legal career, I have successfully defended hundreds upon hundreds of criminal cases. I have appeared at all levels of court in Alberta, including at the Supreme Court of Canada. I am also currently the Advising Lawyer for Student Legal Assistance, a non-profit organization of law students at the University of Calgary dedicated to providing legal services and access to justice to low-income individuals.

As a Criminal Defence Lawyer, I am always striving to learn more about my field. The following are the most recent educational and informational conferences in which I have either participated or presented and the organizations I belong to:

• University of Calgary Law School Trial Advocacy Annual Instructor – 2017-Present
• University of Calgary First Year Crime Guest Lecturer – 2016/17/18
• University of Calgary Law 688 Clinical Practice Guest Lecturer – 2018/19
• Criminal Defence Lawyers Association Education Director – 2016
• Student Legal Assistance Criminal Law Boot Camp (Annual Presenter)
• Student Legal Assistance Impaired Driving Conference (Presenter)
• Student Legal Assistance Charter Notice Seminar (Presenter)
• Student Legal Assistance Trial Advocacy Seminar (Annual Presenter)
• Student Legal Assistance Domestic Violence Defence (Presenter)
• Court Trial Confirmation Sentencing Presentation (Presenter)
• Legal Education Society of Alberta Impaired Driving Conference (Presenter)
• Criminal Defence Lawyers Association Impaired Driving Seminars
• Criminal Defence Lawyers Association Sexual Assault Seminars
• 43^rd and 45^th National Criminal Law Conference
• Police Interrogation and Evidence-Gathering Techniques Seminar
• Intoxilyzer Breath Alcohol Testing Conference
• Criminal Trial Lawyers Association Conference
• Active Member of Calgary Bar Association
• Active Member of the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association
• Active Member of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association
• Active Member of the British Columbia Trial Lawyers Association
• Active Member of the Law Society of British Columbia and Alberta

I obtained a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Calgary in 2006 with the following distinctions:

• Crown Association Prize (top grade in first-year criminal law)
• Gale Cup Moot Competition finalist (first-ever finalist finish for UofC)

I obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology, with a minor in English from the University of Calgary in 2003. Along the way, I received the following distinctions:

• Suncor Energy Scholarship
• Louise McKinney Scholarship
• Jason Lang Scholarship

• Impaired Driving and Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS)
• Criminal Driving Offences
• Domestic Assault and Violent Offences
• Sexual Offences
• Drug Offences including Possession and Trafficking

• Law Society of Alberta
• Law Society of British Columbia
• Roster Lawyer, Legal Aid Alberta
• Calgary Defence Lawyers Association
• Calgary Bar Association

• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Calgary (2003)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Calgary (2006)