Unanswered Questions Plague Lockhart Smokehouse v. Pitmaster Lawsuits in Dallas | Eater Dallas

"Tangled in litigation, Lockhart Smokehouse and its owners Jeff and Jill Bergus have sued McLaughlin alleging breach of contract, defamation, and tortious interference, while the Berguses say the brand is a separate entity from the individual Dallas and Plano restaurant LLCs and that investors have been paid back more than eight times their initial investments and continue to receive distributions. McLaughlin counters that intellectual property was shifted out of the original LLC his family invested in without written records or agreement, questions why dividends weren’t issued in 2020 (raising IRS concerns for investors), and seeks discovery to determine what his family actually owns." - Courtney E. Smith