Laura Killoren has filed a suit alleging that her brother, David Dobbs — president of Dobbs Tire & Auto Centers Inc. — punched her during a February 2015 company retreat in Cancun,
the
St. Louis Business Journal
reported
. Her suit, filed December 24 in St. Louis County Circuit Court against David Dobbs and the company, alleges assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, the article said. The suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages, according to the report.
The journal report said the siblings have been fighting over control of the $110 million business. Their father, founder Don Dobbs, died in March, the article said.
Participants in the retreat included employees, company board members and their families, the article said.
Citing court documents filed by Killoren, the journal reported that the fight began after David Dobbs’ son, Dustin Dobbs, said in front of company retreat attendees that he had bought cocaine on the beach. An argument ensued about whether Dustin Dobbs and his wife should be sent home. Court papers say David Dobbs “approached Killoren and, without warning, struck Killoren in the face with a clenched fist,” the article said.
The article, citing the suit, said that in the summer of 2015, David Dobbs fired Killoren, her husband and son.
In court documents for another case, David Dobbs said he fired Killoren after she questioned payouts related to a life insurance policy for their father and began a process to buy out her shares through a put-call agreement, the article said.
Another legal dispute involves a petition that seeks to invalidate a trust amendment stipulating that the siblings’ mother, Sue Dobbs, may not withdraw company stock from the trust or alter its distribution to her descendants without the consent of both siblings, the article said. Sue Dobbs suffered a severe stroke eight years ago.
“David Dobbs also has taken legal action against Killoren over two entities that own significant real estate in the region, including at least 15 Tire locations total, according to
Business Journal
research,” the article said. (Source:
St. Louis Business Journal
, Dec. 28, 2015.)
-
4248 reads