Michael Kelly Honoured as One of Canada’s Most Influential Lawyers
OMERS Chief Legal and Sustainability Officer Michael Kelly has been recognized by Canadian Lawyer Magazine as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers 2025.
Canadian Lawyer’s ranking recognizes and celebrates outstanding legal professionals who demonstrate significant leadership and impact across Canada. Michael has been awarded in the in-house category for his multifaceted expertise and exceptional leadership.
Assuming his current role in 2014, Michael oversees OMERS Legal Division, including matters related to investment and pension law, regulatory affairs, and corporate governance. In addition, Michael leads OMERS approach to sustainable investing in his role as Chief Sustainability Officer, developing OMERS Sustainable Investing Framework in 2019 and establishing OMERS Climate Action Plan in 2023.
“Michael has made an extraordinary impact at OMERS. His deep expertise and principled approach exemplify the kind of leadership we value across our organization. His unwavering commitment to doing what is right—for our members and for OMERS—continues to strengthen our mission,” said OMERS President and CEO Blake Hutcheson. “He brings intelligence, vision, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence to everything he does. Michael inspires those around him, and I am proud to call him a colleague, a friend, and a world-class leader and ambassador for OMERS globally.”
As a member of OMERS Executive Leadership Team, Michael acts as the key interface between the board and management and is a crucial liaison for OMERS wide group of stakeholders. In addition, he represents OMERS in key domestic and international organizations focused on governance and sustainability, including the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance and the Investor Leadership Network.
“Michael navigates complexity with great skill and calm. He embodies our culture of innovation and collaboration,” said Brodie Swartz, Senior Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Corporate Secretary at OMERS. “Consistently challenging the status quo, Michael fosters an environment where new ideas are encouraged, and the collective pursuit of excellence is the norm.”
Prior to assuming his current role with OMERS, Michael served as Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Borealis Infrastructure (now OMERS Infrastructure), which he joined in 2006 after practicing corporate, commercial and regulatory law, both in-house and with firms in Toronto, London, England and Ottawa.
“It is a privilege to work alongside so many dedicated professionals and to contribute to a profession that continues to evolve for the better,” said Mr. Kelly. “At OMERS, we work in service of our members and I’m grateful to contribute to that work every day.”
For more information on Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers ranking, please visit here.
About OMERS
OMERS is a jointly sponsored, defined benefit pension plan, with 1,000 participating employers ranging from large cities to local agencies, and almost 640,000 active, deferred and retired members. Our members include union and non-union employees of municipalities, school boards, local boards, transit systems, electrical utilities, emergency services and children’s aid societies across Ontario. OMERS teams work in Toronto, London, New York, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Singapore, Sydney and other major cities across North America and Europe – serving members and employers, and originating and managing a diversified portfolio of high-quality investments in government bonds, public and private credit, public and private equities, infrastructure and real estate.
Media Contact: Don Peat, Director, Media Relations, 1 416.417.7385, dpeat@omers.com