Amir Moaven, the brother of late London restaurateur Abbas Moaven, has been ordered to pay £490,000 in legal costs after losing a High Court battle over his brother's £5 million fortune. The dispute centered on four properties that Abbas had declared, weeks before his death in 2012, were owned in thirds by himself, his brother, and their mother—a move that substantially diminished the estate meant for his widow, Gabriela Teixeira, and their two children.
Court Rules Documents Were a 'Sham'
Deputy Master Timothy Bowles ruled in May that the trust documents Abbas signed while hospitalized were a sham, designed to prevent Teixeira from accessing the majority of his wealth. This week, he ordered Amir, along with accountant Behzad Faiz and solicitor Marios Robert Pittalis, to pay £473,000 of the costs jointly, with Amir solely responsible for an additional £17,000. The judge described the documents as “no more than deceitful forms of words” and criticized the three men for putting forward a “fictional and dishonest case.”
Background of the Family Feud
Abbas and Amir Moaven moved to the UK from Iran in 1982 and built a business empire spanning clothing, mobile phones, and restaurants. Abbas married Gabriela Teixeira, a birth doula and yoga teacher, in 2002. They had two children, Elis and Aryan, now adults. When Abbas died of cancer in 2012, his will left his estate in equal thirds to his widow and children. However, the estate was rendered potentially worthless after Abbas signed declarations of trust transferring partial ownership of four high-end properties in Holland Park, Kensington, and Maida Hill to his brother and mother.
Evidence of Deception
Court documents revealed that Amir had sought to “regularise their affairs” while Abbas was seriously ill, expressing concern that Teixeira might “disappear with the two children to Brazil” and dissipate assets. Alexander Learmonth KC, representing Teixeira, argued the documents were intended to defeat her claim. The judge agreed, noting that the narrative behind the trusts was a “fiction” and that Abbas had always been the sole beneficial owner of the properties.
Impact on the Widow
Teixeira, who works as a doula, told the court she has been unable to maintain the lifestyle she enjoyed during Abbas's lifetime. The judge ordered the costs to be assessed on an indemnity basis, citing the “manifestly and radically outside the norm” conduct of the three men. The full costs will be assessed later, but the judge ordered an immediate payment of £154,800 toward Teixeira and her children's costs and £318,800 toward the estate administrators' costs.
