Michael Oykhman

First Year of Call
2007

Areas of Practice
Criminal Law

Description
I am a senior criminal defence lawyer and founder of Strategic Criminal Defence, a full-service Calgary criminal defence law office, with central offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Victoria, Saskatchewan, and Toronto.

My practice is based in Calgary.

Since being called to the Alberta Bar in 2007, I have devoted my practice exclusively to criminal law. Over the past 18 years, I have personally represented more than 2,500 clients and appeared at all levels of court in Alberta, including the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as the provincial courts of Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

While I operate out of the Calgary office, I am licensed to practice in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

Strategic Approach
My practice spans the full spectrum of criminal law, from summary offences to the most complex indictable matters, including homicides, large-scale drug prosecutions, multi-million-dollar frauds, and constitutional Charter challenges.

I have over 100 reported decisions on CanLII, including notable cases such as Goodwin v British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles), 2015 SCC 46 at the Supreme Court of Canada, and Demars v Alberta (Director of SafeRoads), 2024 ABCA 188, which provided the leading interpretation of Alberta’s Provincial Administrative Penalties Regulation.

Not every case is won through trial. In fact, the best results are often achieved through alternative resolution strategies without the case ever going to trial. Although I am trained as a trial lawyer, I prefer to be viewed as a problem solver. My goal is to provide every client with the highest quality of care and the best result possible.

Our firm’s approach is reflected in more than 700 independently posted five-star reviews in Calgary, consistently highlighting responsiveness, honesty, and commitment to protecting clients’ rights.