A source told me that stock-option program did change, and some people allege that they felt threatened by you. At any time did you say to your employees ‘You’re going to be reprimanded if you don’t fill out this new stock form,’ or anything like that?

No, that’s just complete bunk. I don’t even know where that came from. The other side always seems to go to the press before they even file the lawsuit or give us a copy of it. The accusations are just ludicrous. If we have changed the direction of the stock agreements or things like this by having a more sophisticated company that’s just what companies do.

I’ve never heard anybody say that I put pressure on them. If they don’t want to stay around, just leave. You know what? Nobody leaves. We haven’t lost probably but a handful of people over the last three years. All the senior guys in this group have been together eight or nine years.

You’re also facing litigation from some artists. The courts recently ruled in favor of Janie Atkinson for her paintings. What’s the story behind that?

Janie Atkinson did work for me 10 years ago. I paid her in full. She hears the litigation about the Jerry Garcia, and somehow, the same attorneys get involved.

Whether she’s won on some technicality, nothing has been settled. I just think it’s outrageous for somebody to paint some things that I use for my bars and restaurants 10 years ago, we get to be a bigger group, and she sees some opportunity.

Maybe [your] story ought to be on a lawyer who’s now sued us for the fourth time. I wonder why a lawyer has now sued us for the Jerry Garcias, Moe’s, Mama Fu’s, and Janie Atkinson. Makes me mad thinking about it.

Thank you for your time. I know I had to ask some hard questions.

That’s all right. They’re upsetting questions. We’ve bent over backwards our whole lives to be totally fair. I know I’ve been the most-generous guy in the world and not one person except for Anne Wheatley would say otherwise. It’s just unfortunate. I’ve got 100 people that jump up and scream—they think I’m the greatest guy in the world. Then, one person leaves us, and she sees it a different way. But she’ll have her day to explain things long term.

As far as Janie Atkinson goes, that’s just disappointing and for somebody to come out of the woodwork and request tons of money and not want to work something out. We took the [artwork] down. It was bathroom art, and she’s trying to claim it had something to do with Moe’s success. I just think that speaks for itself. Whether she wins on a technicality, I’ll let the lawyers figure all that out. But I don’t believe she’s going to be able to prove the damages and that people came in the store to find some bathroom art.

It’s just disappointing that people don’t see all the great things that we do. I don’t think there would have been any big issues had [franchisees] not had the same attorney keep coming after us. He seems delighted about it; loves to call the press and tell these stories

We’ll just have to let the lawyers figure it out with who’s right or wrong in the courts for the next couple of years.