JSS Barristers

Since being founded in 1995, JSS Barristers has developed a strong reputation in Alberta’s legal community for its litigation and dispute resolution prowess. As Calgary’s largest civil litigation and advocacy boutiques, we have cultivated a strong practice that is often competitive with the large national and international firms. In 2022, JSS Barristers was promoted into Band 1 of the Chambers Canada guide for corporate & commercial litigation in Alberta - the only boutique firm in the band.

The firm has been named an Excellence Awardee for Litigation and Dispute Resolution Boutique Firm of the Year for two consecutive years at the Canadian Law Awards, and has consistently appeared on The Globe and Mail's list of Canada's Best Law Firms.

Starting in 2020, JSS Barristers has been representing the Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights and other applicants in a judicial review application that will challenge the federal gun ban that was enacted in May 2020 by order-in-council. This will be a high-profile constitutional and administrative law challenge that will affect the owners and sellers of over 1,500 makes and models of “assault-style” weapons.

Several matters were concluded this year that will have a significant impact on how future matters will be seen by Courts in Alberta. In Nova Pole International Inc. v Permasteel Construction Limited, the Alberta Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the plaintiff, represented by JSS Barristers, that created an important expansion in the application of Rules 4.31 and 4.33 which allow for the dismissal of an action for long delay. JSS Barristers also secured a unique decision by the Court of Queen’s Bench in An v Pham, in which the Court directed the Respondent Shareholders sell their shares to the our client, the Applicant Shareholder notwithstanding that it is a remedy for oppression which is not specifically enumerated in the Business Corporations Act.

The firm also continues to represent the Government of Alberta, as a partner in Tobacco Recovery Lawyers LLP, in a multi-billion-dollar mass tort matter against more than a dozen international tobacco manufacturers to recover the cost of providing healthcare to Albertans with tobacco-related diseases.

The class action group at JSS Barristers has also remained strong throughout 2020. The firm is currently representing a number of First Nations in a class action claiming that Indian Oil and Gas Canada, an agency of the Department of Indigenous Affairs in Canada In data and privacy protection law, the firm recently filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook Inc. and its Canadian subsidiary, Facebook Canada Ltd., in relation to the Cambridge Analytica breach that occurred between 2013 and 2018.