Maggie Carmichael

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Maggie maintains a broad practice covering all aspects of pension, benefits and executive compensation law.  She regularly provides advice to sponsors and administrators of provincially and federally regulated defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans on plan design, administration, compliance, funding, investment and governance matters, as well as plan mergers, plan wind-ups, and the distribution of surplus.

Maggie also provides advice on the pension, benefits and equity-based compensation aspects of corporate transactions, including mergers & acquisitions and reorganizations.

Maggie has experience working with employers in the design, drafting and implementation of incentive compensation plans, and with tax and other compliance issues relating to incentive compensation plans.

Prior to joining BMKP Law, Maggie practiced in the pension group at a pre-eminent Canadian law firm.

In addition to the practice of law, Maggie is a member of the Board of Directors of Trafalgar Castle School, where she currently serves as Chair of the Risk Committee and previously served on the Governance Committee.

Representative Work

• Advising a broader public sector employer on the conversion of their single employer pension plan with over $1B in assets to a jointly sponsored pension plan, including the transfer of legacy defined benefit liabilities.
• Advising a public sector employer on the implementation of new pension arrangements, including a supplementary plan, for its employees.
• Advising a private sector employer on the wind-up of its hybrid pension plan and the distribution of surplus, as well as the establishment of a new defined contribution registered pension plan.
• Acts as counsel to various private sector employers in respect of their Canadian pension, retirement and savings plans, including governance, compliance and regulatory matters.
• Advised a manufacturing and distributing company in Companies Creditors’ Arrangement Act proceedings with respect to the wind-up of its defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans and the distribution of surplus.
• Acted as counsel to a number of pension plan administrators, including a multi-national pharmaceutical company and a multi-national technology company, on corporate reorganizations.
• Advised on the acquisition of a Canadian home improvement and construction products retailer, which included providing advice on the retailer’s pension, benefits and equity-based compensation arrangements as well as the drafting and implementation of post-closing incentive compensation plans.
• Advises financial institutions and borrowers in connection with pension aspects of various credit facilities.

Awards & Accolades

• Chambers Canada (2025-2026)
  Associates to Watch: Pensions & Benefits – Nationwide – Canada
• The Best Lawyers in Canada™ (2026)
  Ones to Watch: Employee Benefits Law
• The Legal 500 Canada (2023-2025)
  Leading Associate: Pensions

Associations & Memberships

• Canadian Bar Association | Pension and Benefits Law Section | Member
• Ontario Bar Association | Pension and Benefits Law Section | Member

Education

• University Certificate in Pension Law, Osgoode Professional Development
• Queen’s University, J.D.
• Wilfrid Laurier University, Hons. B.A.