French businessman Alexandre Allard is accusing his partners of espionage and usurpation of copyright of artistic and architectural elements involving the luxury hotel Rosewood, located in the central region of the state capital. The case ended up in court: Judge Laura de Mattos Almeida, of the 29th Civil Court of São Paulo, authorized a expertise in the building. According to Allard’s defense, the partners also tried to dilute their shareholding in the enterprise.
The Rosewood Hotel, which opened in 2022, is controlled by BM Empreendimentos, which is made up of Allard and the Holding Tai Fook Enterprises Limited (CTF), headquartered in Hong Kong.
Sought, lawyers representing BM and CTF did not comment on the case.
Allard claims that architectural elements of the project were conceived by him before the CTF entry into the business. An expert at the hotel was authorized by the court, under the request of the businessman, who feared changes in the place during the process. Allard says he is the copyright holder of the architectural project that changed the place.
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“In this regard, the applicant (Allard) was a visionary who, with his innovative, creative and inventive gaze, saw the opportunity to praise Brazilian culture and creativity through the use of components and elements originating exclusively from the country, always reconciling with responsible and sustainable environmental practices,” says an excerpt from a document presented by the entrepreneur’s defense.
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Shareholder
In the document, to which Estadão had access, the French businessman also accuses a director of BM Empreendimentos of having entered the notebook of his lawyer and extracted information and documents through a USB stick.
The data would be related to a negotiation of debentures, linked to the shareholding participation in the enterprise. With this, Allard’s accusation is that the partners tried to dilute their participation in the hotel.
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In 2010, Allard acquired the former Matarazzo Hospital and created on site what he calls Matarazzo City, where the Rosewood Hotel is. The CTF became part of the business, to enable the financial execution of the project, from November 26, 2013, according to the process.
The CTF owner Chow Tai Fook is a private conglomerate based in Hong Kong. The group has business in the jewelery markets, casinos, hotel, real estate development, telecommunications and energy, as well as owner of the Rosewood brand of hotels.
The document also informs that the CTF is the largest quotaholder of the BM 888 investment fund, allowing him to decide most relevant issues related to Rosewood – Cidade Matarazzo.
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Also sought, the lawyer of the French group, Leandro Chiarottino, partner at Chiarottino and Nicletti Advogados, said he would not speak because the action is in court and partially submitted to the secret of justice. Also advocates the Allard Group the lawyer Modesto Carvalhosa, from MKR Advogados.
The information is from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo.
