Gordon Ramsay wins $4.5 million in damages from ex-business partner
Gordon Ramsay was awarded $4.5 million in damages after going face-to-face with his former business partner Rowen Seibel in court.
Siebel sued the furious British chef in 2014, but a New York Superior Court judge ruled last Wednesday that Siebel “was not a credible witness,” adding that it appeared he had “fabricated evidence.” ” were.
In a filing seen by Page Six, Judge Melissa Crane ruled in favor of Ramsay and her company, GR US, and ordered that Siebel pay $1.6 million as well as 50 to 70 percent of Ramsay’s attorneys’ fees, which That was $5 million. The total payout comes to about $4.5 million.
A spokesman for Ramsay told us, “The judge believed that Seibel was ‘not credible,’ that ‘it appears he fabricated evidence,’ that he received ‘kickbacks’ and stole money and Management of the restaurant was incompetent. Mr. Ramsay was serious in his efforts to end all business deals after discovering these problems with Siebel, and we are pleased but in no way surprised by the decision.
Ramsay, 55, and Siebel, 40, opened The Fat Cow restaurant in 2012 at The Grove, a luxurious outdoor shopping mall in Los Angeles.
But when it closed in March 2014, Siebel sued Ramsay for $10.8 million, claiming that the chef had “deliberately mishandled a trademark issue” for the eatery—and then went to “new partners.” and then secretly struck a deal with his Los Angeles landlord” to build a new restaurant in The Fat Cows space.
Ramsay countered, citing Siebel’s “fraudulent scheme to freeload on celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s fame and acumen”.
Ramsay also called Siebel “incompetent,” “self-treating,” “incompetent and dishonest,” and alleged that Siebel “begged to be involved” but “proved to be seriously unfit in its management.”
Crane said, “If a witness will lie in court, it is likely that he will lie about everything,” and disregarded all of Seibel’s testimony.
The court found that Seibel took bribes from the suppliers to the fat cow. Siebel and his associate, Craig Green, also conspired to take over Gordon Ramsay Holdings through a deal with Wexford Capital, which the court found had a poor effect on their credibility.
Siebel also took money out of the restaurant’s capital account at a time when the business was failing and Ramsay was investing his money to keep it afloat.
Crane received some criticism of Ramsay, but said that by closing The Fat Cow, he minimized the damage caused by a class action from employees.
Former employees filed a lawsuit in 2013, claiming they were overworking and underpaid.
The ruling reads: “Bottom line, although records indicate Siebel engaged in intentional misconduct, where the Ramsay side was only the worst.”
A friend of Ramsay’s told Page Six, “The eight years have been emotional and stressful, but Gordon feels right with the judge’s decision and can finally put it all behind him.”
A lawyer for Siebel — who was sentenced in 2016 to a month in prison for lying to the IRS that he deposited more than $1 million in Switzerland as part of a tax evasion scheme — told us that he would like to appeal. making plans.
Ramsay’s new show, “Next Level Chef,” meanwhile, will receive the coveted spot on Fox after the Super Bowl in February 2023, it was reported Monday.
Gordon Ramsay won $4.5 million in damages from ex-business partner, this first appeared on Page Six.
