Overview

Jean-Pierre Sheppard is a partner and the head of our Commercial Litigation Group. His practice focuses on shareholder and partner disputes.

He represents private businesses and public institutions in cases involving breaches of the contractual, legal and statutory obligations of shareholders, directors and officers. He has been involved in numerous unfair competition cases, as well as matters involving non-competition and non-solicitation clauses, and the misappropriation of confidential information.

Jean-Pierre is often called upon to plead injunctions, seizures before judgment, and other emergency measures as part of his mandates. He appears before all levels of court, including the Superior Court and Court of Appeal.

Representative files and mandates

Broadcasting — Obtained an order to compel a cable broadcaster to continue broadcasting the client’s television programs

Professional liability — Defended a firm of tax lawyers and obtained the dismissal of a claim for over $50 million for alleged negligence in corporate structuring and tax planning transactions. The Supreme Court of Canada affirmed this decision.

“Partner” rights — Obtained judgment recognizing a 50% co-owner of a commercial building’s right of withdrawal for fair market value

Unfair competition — Obtained an injunction on behalf of an integrated producer of goods and services for the aviation industry

The following orders were granted:

An order compelling the defendant, a competitor, to return documents to the client relating to operations, accounting and finances illegally taken by former employees of the client

An order barring former employees from using confidential information concerning the client’s operations, accounting and business

An order barring them from soliciting their former employer’s clients

Intellectual property — Obtained an injunction barring an ex-employee, now a competitor, from selling software used for the home oil distribution trade, and from doing business with the client’s customers

Partnerships — Challenged the validity of the sale of a general partnership’s sole real estate asset. The issue related to whether the decision required a majority or a unanimous vote.

Shareholders’ Rights

Obtained orders for the repurchase of minority shareholders’ shares for fair value in cases of oppressive and unfair conduct by majority shareholders

Obtained many emergency interim injunctions to secure access to accounting, financial and operational information on behalf of minority shareholders excluded from the management and operations of private companies

Obtained injunctions to prevent majority shareholders from disposing of, and fraudulently converting, corporate assets and funds for their own profit

Successfully defended majority shareholders — directors and officers — unjustly accused by minority shareholders of having caused the corporation to become insolvent. The Court denied the claim for damages against them.

Successfully defended majority shareholders and directors against a claim for oppression and for an order to redeem a minority shareholder’s shares. The Court denied the claim, as the defendants had acted in the best interests of the company and in accordance with best practices.

Class Actions

Currently representing an employer sued for its senior management’s alleged abusive conduct in the context of a class action

Represented directors of public companies in a case based on allegedly false statements of financial results in prospectuses

Represented a company alleged to have misrepresented the price of certain products on its website

Successfully represented a financial institution against claims based on alleged misrepresentations in the sale of financial products, including RRSP investments

Represented actuaries having allegedly failed to follow standard practices in calculating accounting and financial reserves for public companies

Represented manufacturers of allegedly defective breast implants and of artificial hip implants

Represented Quebec hospitals and health institutions in a C. difficile bacteria contamination case

Practice Areas

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Constitutional Law
• Civil Litigation
• Commercial Law

Bar Information

Called to the bar: 1987 (QC)