Joseph (Chip) Dow Sheppard III

Email: Send Email

Biography

Chip Sheppard is a shareholder and Chairman of the Litigation/Dispute Resolution Practice Group of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. He concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, business, securities and intellectual property litigation, dispute resolution and transactions.

A substantial portion of Mr. Sheppard's practice includes securities and other fraud and fiduciary duty related claims, both as an arbitrator and as counsel for the parties. Mr. Sheppard has tried a combined total of more than 50 arbitrations, state and federal trials, both jury and non-jury, in his areas of concentration. Other areas of concentration are various business transactions, acquisitions, real estate development and related litigation and probate litigation.

Mr. Sheppard received his bachelor's degree from Missouri State University in 1980 and his law degree, as an E. Eugene Mason Endowed Scholar, in 1983 from Southern Methodist University School of Law. He is a board member of the Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association, Chairman of the Non-Partisan Court Plan Committee, member of the American Bar Association, the Missouri Bar, the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association. In 2005 he was elected as a Fellow of the American Bar Association, an honor bestowed upon less than .5 percent of the Bar and was selected in 2005 and 2006 and again in 2010, to the “Super Lawyer” list by Law & Politics Magazine (top 5% according to peer review) in the areas of securities, litigation and business litigation. In 2008, he Co-Chaired the Greene Countians for Fair and Impartial Judges Committee which was responsible for bringing the Missouri Court Plan to Greene County, was a finalist for Missouri Lawyer of the Year and received the Missouri Bar Association and Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association President's Awards in recognition of extraordinary service to those Associations and the legal profession. Finally, he has been named to the “Best Lawyers in America” list by the publication of the same name.

Mr. Sheppard is a former arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association, New York Stock Exchange, and is presently an arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers(FINRA).

Mr. Sheppard's community involvement includes serving as a director of Hickory Hills Country Club (2003-present), as well as serving as a member of the Chamber of Commerce Governmental Relations Committee (1995-present). He also served as an Elder at the First and Calvary Presbyterian church and on various committees. Mr. Sheppard has also served on the Board of Directors for Leadership Springfield and the Housing Authority of Springfield.

Sampling of Notable Cases:

  • 2008: Represented Banta Foods, Inc. as lead counsel in the sale of its assets and real estate to Reinhardt FoodService, LLC and its affiliate.
  • 1988-present: Lead counsel in more than fifty (50) federal and state court and arbitration intellectual property and securities matters that settled confidentially.
  • 2008: Mr. Sheppard received a unanimous Greene County jury verdict alleging violation of the Missouri Securities Act fraud provisions against an individual promoter and the issuer in the amount of approximately $500,000.00, which included the original investment, interest and attorney's fees on behalf of a Greene County resident.
  • 2005: Obtained an NASD award against A.G. Edwards for $151,974.82 plus $25,412.76 in interest, $43,701.64 for attorney fees, $5,929.75 for costs and expenses, and $16,921.25 for expert fees, all on behalf of a Washington University professor alleging breach of fiduciary duty in a non-discretionary account.
  • 2002: Obtained a $1,385,000 NASD arbitration award against A.G. Edwards based on unsuitability and over concentration in his clients non-discretionary brokerage accounts.
  • 2001: Counsel to Wayne Newton in Wayne Newton: Tony Orlando v., in the United States District Court, Western District of Missouri which was resolved confidentially as to all claims and counterclaims.
  • 2000: Obtained a full release and dismissal of claims for a guarantor client on a $600,000 guaranty of a car dealership line of credit.
  • 1998: Obtained a $385,000 quantum meruit jury verdict in a small Southwest Missouri county as the value of introducing a local real estate developer to Wayne Newton.
  • 1995, 1996: Counsel for the Springfield Twisters and other related entities in attempts to bring Double A Minor League baseball with major league affiliation to the Springfield, Missouri area.
  • 1994: Represented Iowa Realty in the purchase of Southwest Missouri's largest real estate firm, Carol Jones Realtors, as lead counsel in that acquisition.
  • 1992: Represented Claimants in a securities arbitration proceeding against Paine, Webber and its registered representative on a suitability claim, resulting in an award of actual and punitive damages exceeding $320,000, despite the fact that the registered representative was the son-in-law of the claimants. The actual out-of-pocket losses, including interest, were less than $175,000.
  • 1990: Represented Claimants in a 10-day securities arbitration proceeding resulting in a $450,000 actual damage award and a $450,000 punitive damage award against Stifel, Nicolaus and its registered representative after three other claimants had failed to recover any award whatsoever in three separate arbitration proceeding against the same broker and the same firm for the exact same type of trading activity. Mr. Sheppard did not represent the three prior claimants.

Education

Southern Methodist University School of Law, J.D., 1983
Missouri State University, B.S., Accounting, with honors, 1980

Practice Areas

Arbitration
Business
Corporate
Litigation
Mediation
Real Estate
Intellectual Property
Securities

Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown, P.C. Attorneys at Law
2805 S. Ingram Mill Road
Springfield, MO 65804
Telephone: 417.447.4400
Fax: 417.447.4401

Branson: 417.332.3425

E-mail: Send E-Mail

CECB In The News

Attorney John M. Carnahan, III Admitted to Practice before the United States Supreme Court More >

Attorney Jennifer K. Huckfeldt Accepted as a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (“ACTEC”) More >