Celebrity Chef David Burke Sued for $1.6 Million, ‘He Thought No One Was Looking’

Celebrity chef David Burke is in hot water and he’s not making pasta. Burke is being sued by Watershed for $1.6 million and one of his trademarks for deceiving his fellow business partners.

The company claims that they paid the “Iron Chef” to manage Watershed and get new projects in the works, which he did, but they had nothing to do with the company that contracted him. The projects he lined up were allegedly strictly for his own benefit.

Watershed Ventures and KEC Holdings filed paperwork in a Manhattan court today that stated, “He thought no one was looking, he simply took for himself, out of naked greed, lucrative business projects that he was required to try to land for the benefit.”

Watershed started to do business with Chef Burke back in 2008, but made him resign in 2014 when they saw his endeavors were only of interest to him and his brand.

Earlier this month it was reported that the 53-year-old chef’s restaurant group is suing “Top Chef Masters’” Chris Shea for recruiting three of Burke’s top chefs upon his departure from the restaurant.

The court papers stated, “Almost immediately after resigning . . . (Shea) mounted an extensive poaching campaign in which he actively encouraged at least five Burke Group employees – and likely far more – to . . . join him.”

Reps for both chefs have not commented at this time.

Did Celebrity Chef David Burke have this deception by his former employee coming or are both of the shady chef business practices a mere coincidence?

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