Brendan J. Brownyard, acting both individually and as trustee of The Brendan J. Brownyard Revocable Trust, has filed a lawsuit against a group of individuals and a company for alleged misconduct involving financial mismanagement and fraud. The complaint names Wendy Manson and Bender Ciccotto & Co., C.P.A.'s, L.L.P. as defendants.
The case centers on allegations that Manson and Bender Ciccotto & Co., who provided accounting services to the Brownyard Group, a family-owned business, failed to detect or report significant financial misconduct by other shareholders. According to the complaint, Brendan J. Brownyard’s reduced involvement in company operations due to health issues in 2021 allegedly allowed other shareholders, including his brother Bryan Brownyard and Bryan’s children, to misuse company funds and alter financial records to reduce the value of Brendan’s shares.
The complaint claims that under the defendants’ oversight, these shareholders awarded themselves bonuses and used company funds for personal expenses, including vacations and club memberships. The plaintiff alleges that these actions were part of a plan to devalue the company and acquire his shares at below-market value. The filing also states that despite court orders addressing the issue, Manson continued to facilitate the conduct rather than report it.
The plaintiff seeks damages exceeding $10 million, along with punitive damages. The claims include breach of fiduciary duty, violation of good faith covenants, professional malpractice, fraud, and conspiracy to defraud both personally and through trust interests.
The plaintiff is represented by attorney Alex Kriegsman of Kriegsman PC. The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case ID 2:25-cv-05577 and is presided over by Judge John J. Andrews.