The FJ vs. H lawsuit thread.

James Puckett

Tobias is suing Jonathan. I know that someone’s going to bring it up anyway, so I’m starting a thread with a caveat: if you want to discuss this, keep it professional. Don’t rant about H&FJ’s legal history or either of the guys involved. If you want to get catty do so on twitter, that’s what it’s for.

John Hudson

This all seems very sad, although a couple of bits of the legal brief did cause me to laugh out loud. The comparative description of The Parties is so outrageous as to make me wonder if this were all a piss-take, and I had to go and check that the site hosting the document was legit. Lawyers are amazing.

SiDaniels

Hope it's resolved soon and doesn't drag out.

Jack Jennings

I thought that it was a joke as well… especially after clause 11.

Stuart Sandler

While a settlement is the likely outcome, I'm secretly hopeful this goes to trial to see it play out in front of a judge or jury.

SiDaniels

Some folk watch Formula 1 for the crashes, but few of those are professional race car drivers. :-/

James Puckett

I’m pretty sure this isn’t going to end up in a courtroom. Sounds like someone is holding on to some emails about Jonathan’s “client-hustling skills”.

Andreas Seidel

Can't believe they will work together in the future.

joeclark

Don’t rant about H&FJ’s legal history

Attested facts must always be up for discussion.

Rodrigo Saiani

I think it's pretty sad that a guy of such stature has the guts to not give what the other is clearly entitled to. They were for me big examples of how to do business the right way, it shocks me this happened.

James Puckett

Don’t rant is not the same as don’t discuss.

Alex Kaczun

Who enters a business arraignment like this without talking to a lawyer and getting a contract signed. I'm sure they both wanted this business deal, for many reasons and beneficial to both parties, but they should have put it all in writing. Now, the lawyers will have to sort this whole mess out. I do not see how they can remain friends or remain business partners going forward—there is no longer any trust between them. It's like a divorce. Pity.

Chris Lozos

Trust is a great virtue. You should not need lawyers to be able to trust a long-time partner. Lawyers will sort out the legal and financial implications of whatever transpires. No lawyer will overcome the trust gained or lost from one human being to another. I have no idea what actually happened in the H&FJ case, nor do I care to pass judgement on anyone involved. I only will say that human trust is a far more valuable thing than what we make of it.

Stuart Sandler

This just in - http://typography.com/press/20140117

James Puckett

Jonathan is such a gracious guy. How nice of him to keep an employees’ name on the door for all these years!

SiDaniels

How much does Wendy own of Wendy's? The chain uses her name and her picture!

George Thomas

Well, considering that Wendy originally was Wendy Thomas, I would say she owns quite a bit of the company her dad started. She also is the owner of quite a few of the franchises.

SiDaniels

Okay, bad example, how much of McDonald's does the clown own.

John Hudson

It's traditional for the 'A&B' format on the door to indicate partnership (did anyone without inside knowledge not think they were equal partners?) Of course, such tradition doesn't count for much in law.

George Thomas

John has a point, not to mention the fact that Jonathan publicly (both verbal and written) held Tobias out to be his partner. Common law might have precedence here.

Deleted Account

Okay, bad example, how much of McDonald's does the clown own.

But it's not called McDonald's & Clown. Give that man 60 ccs of Exemplarol, stat.

Chris Lozos

I never thought the clown was a partner, nor did anyone else.

SiDaniels

Thanks Chris, George and David, I guess I should not have skipped lunch.

Chris Lozos

No sweat, Si. Seahawks are on Sunday.

erik spiekermann

Read the clause about writing 50% over to his wife. Cherchez la femme, there might be the answer.

erik spiekermann

What is also amazing are the sums discussed. There must be money in type after all, libre fonts or not.

Dave Crossland

What is also amazing are the sums discussed

Settlement bait

erik spiekermann

Of course. But even the fact that double-digit millions are mentioned surprises me.

James Puckett

It’s possible the numbers seem divorced from reality because Tobias alleges he was not given access to H&FJ’s finances.

Deleted Account

The suit seeks 80 million (dollars), 50% of HFT and punitive damages, according to not my lawyer, but a lawyer.

Scott-Martin Kosofsky

The complaint and the website posting read like something from Samuel Beckett.

HAMM: Scoundrel! Why did you engender me?
NAGG: I didn't know.
HAMM: What? What didn't you know?
NAGG: That it'd be you.

A son unwanted by his father only after the fact, yet the two are entirely codependent. A partner who wasn't really a partner, who hung on for years disbelieving the flimsiness of his position. Ouch.

I don't think the numbers are totally ridiculous, insofar as the partnership (such as it was) had far more value than the sum of its parts, and very promising future earnings. There are apartments in NYC that sell for half again more than $80 million, so the number wouldn't seem extreme to a NYC court or jury.

There's a lot that isn't clear yet, but the weirdness of it all is so extreme that I wonder if it can be settled out of court. I suppose we have to be grateful to H&FJ for giving us our very own courtroom drama.