Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law (2018) JD
- McGill University (2014) BA (Political Science and English Literature)
Details
- Bio
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- Associations
- Blog Posts
- News & Media
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Jessica Kras (she/her)
is an associate at Lenczner Slaght.
Jessica maintains a comprehensive litigation practice, with a focus on professional liability, class actions, and complex commercial disputes – including fraud and oppression claims. She has significant experience obtaining urgent injunctive relief. She acts on mandates across a wide range of industries, including banking, professional services, construction, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as mandates involving government and other public institutions. Jessica has appeared before courts in Ontario, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. In addition to her regular courtroom practice, she is also experienced in conducting and representing parties involved in complex workplace and regulatory investigations.
Jessica is a graduate of the University of Toronto where she obtained both her JD and Masters of Public Policy, as well as a certificate in Aboriginal law. A passionate oral advocate, Jessica participated in and coached the Laskin Moot and was selected to represent the University of Toronto at its annual Grand Moot. She was also the recipient of the Edward J Kowal Prize for achievement in commercial law courses.
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Canadian News Media Companies v OpenAI
Counsel to Canada’s leading news media organizations in their legal action against OpenAI for breach of copyright, breach of online terms of use, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment for scraping large swaths of content (millions of works) from Canadian media to help develop its products, such as ChatGPT.
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Chief James Marlowe and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation v Mirza Mohammad Imran Karim Barlas et al
Counsel to the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and its elected chief in an oppression application (and related injunction) arising from allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation, and fraud by the CEO of the First Nations’ company.
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Julius Di Filippo and David Caron v The Bank of Nova Scotia et al
Counsel to a financial institution in a class action pertaining to allegations of price fixing in the precious metals market.
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Agent for class counsel in a class proceeding by residents, employees, and businesses in Ottawa against the Freedom Convoy organizers. Successfully obtained an ex parte Mareva order freezing donations made to Freedom Convoy organizers and preserving the funds for the benefit of Ottawa residents, employees, and businesses.
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Independent investigation into allegations of bullying and breach of policy by a senior official.
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Counsel to several defendant physicians in connection with a medical negligence action after a woman died from an aortic dissection. Successfully defended the action through a 10-week trial.
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Independent investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by a senior official.
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Lacroix v Walmart Canada Corporation; Dussiaume v Walmart Canada Corporation
Counsel to Walmart in proposed class actions in Ontario and British Columbia relating to the manufacturing, supply and sale of Zantac Ranitidine. Successfully in having action dismissed.
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Counsel to Zurich in an action to rescind surety bonds worth nearly $300 million, and to recover over $68 million, due to collusion and misrepresentations in the bidding process for the St. Michael’s Hospital Redevelopment Project in Toronto.
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The Manitoba Metis Federation v The Government of Manitoba et al
Counsel to the Manitoba Metis Federation in a dispute with the Government of Manitoba over the cancellation of hydro contracts.
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Ontario Bar Association
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The (Corporate) Mind Is Its Own Place
As important as corporations are to modern commerce, Courts have long struggled with how to make these fictional persons responsible for their actions when allegations against them require the Court to assess their state of mind. The problem is as old as the modern corporation, and can cause exasperation when corporations fail, leading Lord Chancellor Thurlow in the 18th century to remark that a corporation, being a fiction, “has neither a body to kick, nor soul to be damned.”
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Lexpert's Top 10 Business Decisions of 2021/2022
In Lexpert's Top 10 Business Decisions of 2021/2022, Lenczner Slaght is featured for its involvement in Li v Barber and Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada v Entertainment Software Association. Monique Jilesen was further interviewed on our involvement in Li v Barber, where our team successfully obtained a precedent-setting Mareva order.
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Eight New Associates
Canada’s leading litigation firm continues to strengthen its talent pool with the addition of eight exceptional associates.
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2024 Snapshot: Through the Lens of Lenczner Slaght
Lenczner Slaght launches our 2024 Snapshot, which highlights the most significant developments, decisions, and trends in litigation from the past year across 20 areas of expertise. Reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025 through the lens of our expert litigators.
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Rethinking the Rules of Civil Evidence
In the March 2022 edition of The Advocates' Journal, Monique Jilesen and Jessica Kras provided a practical refresher on the evidentiary principles that govern the use and admissibility of documents to refresh a witness’s memory.