Jessica is an associate in our Litigation Group, practicing in the area of commercial litigation. She was also a summer and articling student at the firm. In her commercial litigation practice, she has been actively involved in cases involving shareholder disputes for public and private companies, securities regulation, disputes involving investment dealers and advisors, oppression remedies, injunctions, contract disputes and employment issues. Jessica's strengths lie in her attention to detail and focus on achieving creative and practical solutions for her clients. In addition to drafting memoranda, pleadings, factums and written closing submissions, Jessica has acted as counsel before various administrative tribunals and at various levels of Court representing a broad spectrum of clients ranging from large and small publicly-traded companies and private corporations to entrepreneurs and individuals in a variety of industries.
Some of Jessica's notable experience includes:
· Assisted a Real Estate Investment Trust in the successful defence of OSC and court proceedings brought by its largest unitholder who sought to overturn the TSX's conditional approval of a $14,000,000 private placement, enjoin the closing of the private placement and remove the trustees of the REIT before the transaction closed;
· Assisted a mining company in the successful defence of an oppression application in which our client's largest individual shareholder sought an order compelling the company to conduct a shareholders meeting to approve a transaction that resulted in the company combining with another mining company to create one of the world's largest mining companies;
· Assisted a TSX listed company with successfully defending an oppression application where shareholders sought to reverse a private placement and/or restrict the voting rights of private placees;
· Assisted with successfully attacking the validity of a shareholder requisition seeking to remove an incumbent board of directors;
· Assisted securities dealers in matters in which clients commenced proceedings alleging unsuitable investments and unsuitable investment strategies;
· Assisted with trial preparation for a Superior Court of Justice trial involving breaches of fiduciary and contractual duties in the context of a joint venture; and
· Assisted with successfully obtaining a contempt Order against a director of a defendant corporation that required the contemnor to make restitution to the plaintiffs in excess of one million dollars.
Jessica is a tutorial leader for the Osgoode Hall law school civil procedure class and is actively involved in organizing the Cassels Brock Cup, an annual mooting competition between first-year law students at Osgoode Hall and the University of Toronto.
While in law school, Jessica was the recipient of a number of awards for academic achievement, including a prize in debtor creditor law. Jessica has also volunteered with the Canadian Liver Foundation and Skate Canada.
Associations
· Canadian Bar Association
· Ontario Bar Association
· Advocates Society
In The News
U of T Wins the 2011 Cassels Brock Cup
Articles
Common Law Misrepresentation and Class Actions: To Certify or Not Certify 09/23/2010
Newsletters
The Costly Consequences of Inadequate Supervision 06/07/2011
Securities Litigation Group e-LERT - Cassels Brock Successfully Obtains Rare Contempt Order, Million Dollar Restitution Award and Possible Jail Sentence for Breach of Undertaking to the Court 04/01/2011
Securities Litigation Group e-LERT - TSX Listed Company Completes Private Placement Investment in the Face of Shareholder Requisition to Replace Incumbent Board of Directors 03/11/2011
Securities Litigation Group e-LERT - Cassels Brock Updates Law Pertaining to Invalidity of Shareholder Requisition to Remove Incumbent Board of Directors 03/04/2011
New Insider Reporting Regime In Effect April 30, 2010 05/11/2010
Client Complaint Box - Preparing Dealers for the Workout Ahead 04/07/2010
Transactions
TSX Listed Company Completes Private Placement Investment in the Face of Shareholder Requisition to Replace Incumbent Board of Directors 03/21/2011