Stars step in to stop lawsuit

Beyonce and her rapper husband Jay-Z have stepped in to stop rogue restaurateurs suing a Kiwi chef.

Mike Shand's lawyer, Vik Pawar, blasted the managers of Manhattan 40/40 club, owned by the glamour couple, who had launched an abortive $1.85m lawsuit against the chef.

"The 40/40 management were probably out to get him for one reason or another because they're poor managers," Pawar told the Herald on Sunday yesterday.

"I suspect Jay-Z and Beyonce didn't know about the existence of the lawsuit. When they heard about it they were like, 'Mike's a great guy, why is [the] management company suing him? I want you guys to drop this lawsuit.' And that's what happened."

Shand was still a close friend of the two superstars, his lawyer said. "Mike did travel with Jay-Z and Beyonce for many years. They loved him and he loves them."

Shand was in California this weekend. When he left 40/40, he took a secret spice recipe for chicken wings with him, sparking chaos in the New York restaurant scene. "He might actually now be marketing this recipe that has got national attention, and I don't blame him," Pawar said.

Staff at 40/40 were not keen on talking about the incident. "I just told you to call the publicist. Don't call here again asking questions," an irate manager said before hanging up. The publicist in New York did not return calls before deadline.

The club had alleged Shand's departure alienated clients, damaged profits, and caused a loss of goodwill.