New York Superior Court judge ends legal battle

In May 2022, a New York Supreme Court judge ended an eight year legal dispute between celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and his former business partner Rowen Seibel following the closure of their Los Angeles restaurant, The Fat Cow. Justice Melissa Crane ruled largely in favor of Ramsay and his company, GR US Licensing, awarding approximately $4.5 million in damages and legal fees. The decision followed a bench trial examining the partnership breakdown after the restaurant, which opened in 2012 at The Grove in Los Angeles, closed in 2014 amid financial and legal disputes. The court found significant credibility issues with Seibel’s testimony. Justice Crane determined that Seibel was “not a credible witness” and concluded he fabricated evidence, including a backdated check. The ruling applied the legal principle in falsus uno, in falsus omnibus, allowing the court to disregard his testimony. The judge also found that Seibel engaged in misconduct, including siphoning funds from the business, taking kickbacks from suppliers, and failing to pay employees and contractors during the restaurant’s decline. As part of the judgment, Ramsay was awarded approximately $1.6 million in direct damages. The court also ordered Seibel to pay between 50 percent and 70 percent of Ramsay’s legal fees, which totaled about $5 million, bringing the combined award to roughly $4.5 million. In addition, the court granted judicial dissolution of the entities connected to the restaurant, including FCLA, LP and The Fat Cow, LLC, formally ending the business structure tied to the partnership. The ruling concluded litigation that began after the restaurant’s closure and competing claims over management decisions, financial liabilities, and contractual obligations. The Fat Cow operated from October 2012 until March 2014, when it shut down amid trademark disputes, lease issues, and disagreements between partners that ultimately led to court proceedings.