J. Scott Scheper is a trial lawyer and counselor who has spent his entire career in San Diego.  After 25+ years with a local mid-sized firm, Scott started his own law practice in 2017, where he continues to apply a deeply strategic and aggressive, yet intelligent approach to representing his clients in litigation and other matters.  Scott works closely with his clients to tailor a case-specific representation that harmonizes client needs and goals to the situations presented.

 

Scott puts his personal approach to work in a broad range of practice areas.  Most of his representation involves business and contract-related litigation, with emphasis in construction, real property, and employment matters.  Scott tries cases and represents clients in civil litigation matters in state and federal trial courts, in adversary proceedings in bankruptcy courts and in appellate proceedings.  Scott represents real property owners, developers and contractors in various stages of development; those efforts encompass consultation on ever-changing legislation, pre-execution contract review and negotiation, informal dispute resolution and litigation.  Scott provides a spectrum of employment-related representation that includes litigation, consultation regarding trade secret and non-compete restrictions, guidance in ERISA matters, conducting wage and hour assessments and providing work place conduct seminars.  In addition, Scott has provided sports-related representation in a number of matters, representing professional sports franchises, individual owners and clients with sports-related intellectual property issues. In all matters, Scott brings a fierce dedication and commitment to helping his clients when they need him.

 

Scott is AV-rated (5.0 of 5.0) and has received frequent recognition as a Super Lawyer and Top Lawyer in his practice areas.  Away from work he enjoys family time, coaching youth sports, serving on the San Diego Bowl Game Association, which puts on the college football Holiday Bowl, and sportfishing.  

 

Practice Areas

• Construction Law & Construction Litigation

• Employment Law

• Intellectual Property

• Real Property Litigation

• Trials and Appeals

 

Education

Scott earned his law degree, cum laude, in 1991 from Harvard Law School, at which time he also was a member and President of the Harvard Boxing Club and trained for and competed in Golden Gloves, after completing his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, in 1988 at Case Western Reserve University, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and played varsity football.

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Representative Matters

• Represented design construction manager in multi-party construction claims litigation and related matters arising out of a nearly $200 million public works project

• Represented developer in construction contract review and negotiation for development of high-end resort property and represents local developers in various matters involving litigation over property and development rights, contract disputes, construction defect claims and insurance matters

• Represented multiple homeowner plaintiffs in construction litigation leading to settlements collectively worth in excess of $20 million

• Tried month-long adversary proceeding in U.S. Bankruptcy Court involving issues of construction lending and funding, accounting and fiduciary partnership obligations stemming from multi-million dollar investment in multiple-unit residential real estate developments

• Represented owner to resolve claims with general contractor of hospital construction project

• Represented local health care organization in litigation by public entity to void long-term lease of local hospital and its assets in proceedings before the California Superior Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court

• Represented federally-recognized Indian Tribe in diverse matters implicating issues of sovereign immunity and the rights, control and governance over Tribal lands; also represented members of several sovereign Indian Tribes, as board members of a multi-Tribal entity operating a health care facility in litigation implicating Tribal sovereign immunity with respect to a transaction that would facilitate development of a Tribal gaming operation

• Represented national defense industry contractor in litigation related to military equipment contracts for the federal government

• Represented provider of heavy manufacturing products, technology, and services in contract disputes and litigation involving coordinated efforts in North America, Europe and Asia

• Represented local recreational and motor vehicle businesses in litigation, regulatory compliance and licensing, and employee training and contracting matters

• Represented commercial airline operating domestic, international and transoceanic flights, in employment litigation involving maintenance and operational flight safety issues

• Represented employee benefit plan of luxury hotel in ERISA litigation

• Represented publicly-traded internet sports-memorabilia company in securities and employment litigation involving promotional relationships with several high-profile former Major League Baseball players

• Represented securities brokerage and brokers in NASD arbitration asserting tortious interference claims and involving complex claims of trade secret misappropriation

• Represented regional specialty and health food store chain in trademark litigation in federal district and appellate courts

• Represented public telecommunications company in dispute regarding rights and obligations of Olympic-sponsorship affiliation and sponsorship of professional sports franchises and sports facilities

• Represented minority owner of professional sports franchise in transactional negotiations involving ownership rights and interests

• Represented professional sports franchise in protecting its creditor interests in bankruptcy proceedings

 

Professional Affiliations & Admissions

• State Bar of California

• San Diego County Bar Association

• San Diego Inns of Court

• American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh San Diego Chapter

• American Business Trial Lawyers

• California Supreme Court

• U.S. Supreme Court

• U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

• U.S. District Court, Southern, Northern and Central Districts of California

• U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern and Central Districts of California

 

Community Affiliations

• RedCoat Committee Member, San Diego Bowl Game Association (Holiday Bowl)

• San Diego County Youth Football, Coastal Tritons Head Coach/Board Member (2009 - 2016)  

• Former Member, Board of Directors, San Diego Alumni Chapter, Case Western Reserve University

 

Publications & Speaking Engagements

• Author, States Rights, Tunnels and Tunneling magazine, December – January 2015 issue

• Panelist, Construction Day, San Diego Daily Transcript (2014)

• Speaker, Forensic Expert Witness Association (FEWA), “What to Expect from an Expert Witness” (2012)

• Speaker, Forensic Consultants Association (FCA), “Bridging the Gap – Working with Lawyers for Effective Experts” (2012)

• Presenter, Forensic Consultants Accounting, “What to Expect From an Expert Witness” (2012)

• Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar program, “Civil Litigation Practice: Annual Recent Developments” (2004-2007)

• Author, “Home Security Issues,” Today’s Changing Times, SCMV Newsletter (2001)

• Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar program, “Discovery Planning:  Strategies, Tools and Tactics” (2001)

• Periodic On-Air Legal Analyst for Fox 6 Morning News (2000-2001)

       Discrimination in Employment (2000)

• Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar program, “Strategic Tips for Successfully Propounding and Opposing Written Discovery” (2000)

• Panelist and Moderator, Continuing Education of the Bar program, “Expert Witnesses” (2000)

• Speaker and Contributing Author, “Legal Ethics in California” seminar, Lorman Education Services (2000)

• Panelist, California Continuing Education of the Bar, “Discovery Strategies and Tactics for Success” (1999)

 

Professional Awards & Honors

• AV-Peer Review Rating (5.0 out of 5.0) on Martindale-Hubbell™ (2005 - 2020)

• AV-Preeminent Attorney - Judicial Edition (Bar and Judiciary Rating, 2013 - 2020)

• San Diego (and Southern California) Super Lawyers™ (2012 – 2020, Business Litigation, Construction and Employment  Litigation)

• AV-Preeminent Rating, Lawyers.com (2018 - 2020)

• Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment Law (American Lawyer, 2012; Fortune Magazine, 2014)

• Top Lawyers of Southern California (Los Angeles Magazine, 2013 - 2015) and Top Lawyers in San Diego (San Diego Magazine, 2013 - 2020)

• America's Most Honored Professionals (The American Registry, 2014 - 2019) - Top 1% (2016 - 2019)

• America's Most Honored Lawyers (The American Registry) - Top 1% (Inaugural 2020 Award)

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Contact:

email: scheper@STrategeLaw.com

(619) 677 5800