A celebrity vegan chef has filed a $150 million lawsuit against Pryor Cashman, claiming the law firm aided an attempt by her former business partner to steal her ownership stake in the restaurant chain that bears her name, Reuters reported. The 21-page complaint, filed Friday in New York County Supreme Court, stems from the 2017 acquisition of vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli's 50% ownership in By Chloe, a fast-casual vegan restaurant, by ESquared Hospitality, Pryor Cashman's client, for zero dollars. Coscarelli, through Chef Chloe LLC, challenged the acquisition as being legally improper. Last year, an arbitrator reinstated Coscarelli's 50% ownership stake in By Chloe and awarded her $2.3 million in attorney fees and costs. Pryor Cashman has argued that the 2020 arbitration award is not effective until it has been confirmed by a court, putting it at odds with its position in 2017, when it cited an unconfirmed arbitration award as a basis for ESquared Hospitality's no-cost buyout. Chef Chloe said that it is seeking $37.5 million in compensatory damages and $112.5 million in punitive and exemplary damages. The lawsuit asserts a single claim — that Pryor Cashman aided and abetted ESquared Hospitality's breach of fiduciary duty to Chef Chloe.
