As a legal battle heats up with former partners, things are getting complicated for Houston legend Bun B and his Trill Burgers team.
Court documents show that Benson and Patsy Vivares filed a temporary injunction against the Trill O.G., whose real name is Bernard Freeman, and his Trill Burgers partners in late May. The Vivares siblings accuse Bun B of stealing their recipe, while Trill Burgers’ co-owners claim the Vivares misappropriated funds, leading to their departure.
The injunction orders Trill Burgers to stop paying management fees and report expenditures over $10,000. It also requires the company to repay attorney’s fees and forbids hiring new counsel, warning that violations would cause “irreparable injury to Trill Burgers, LLC.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Vivares siblings engaged in “forming and operating competing businesses, misappropriation of corporate opportunities, and other breaches of fiduciary duties.” The suit claims that their actions have caused significant harm to Trill Burgers, including the loss of customers, assets, and goodwill and disruption of business operations.
Bun B’s attorney, Charles D. Adams told KPRC 2‘s Ahmed Humble that he doubts the order will stand on appeal. He emphasized that Trill Burgers will continue serving Houston’s best burgers and pursue their claims against the Vivares siblings. Adams said they are eager to present their case to an arbitrator or jury to expose the truth and seek compensation for Patsy and Benson Vivares’ alleged wrongdoing.
In a voicemail from December 2022, shared by Adams, Patsy Vivares asked for proof that she and her brother were no longer part of Trill Burgers. She said they needed documentation for state taxes.
Adams provided a detailed statement on the lawsuit, saying the temporary injunction hearing supported his clients’ claims about the dissolution of the original partnership and the alleged misappropriation of funds by Patsy Vivares. He noted that Patsy and Benson Vivares failed to back up their accusations against Bun B and couldn’t explain the handling of missing funds.
Despite this, Judge Craft-Demming signed the temporary injunction, which restricts the business operations of the current and future parties involved.