Two North Shore Jewish funeral parlors are now locked in a legal battle for the use of a man’s name.
Service Corp. International, the owner of Lloyd Mandel Levayah Funerals, is suing Lloyd Mandel, the former owner of Levayah. The corporation is asking the court to bar Mandel from using his name for his new funeral service business, Lloyd Mandel Mitzvah Memorial Funerals.
In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago Sept. 23, Service Corp. International claims that Mandel’s 1995 sale of the funeral service business included the name of the business, which the corporation says includes “Lloyd Mandel,” according to court documents.
So when Mandel opened a new funeral business recently he violated the agreement by using his name, according to court documents.
Service Corp. International claims Mandel’s new business is causing confusion and has “caused substantial and irreparable harm,” according to court documents.
Mandel said he plans to fight the lawsuit.
“I will not back down,” he said. “I have the right to use my name.”
He said the Texas-based corporation, which owns many funeral homes nationwide, is trying to get him to back down.
“They’re a big giant corporation with a lot of money,” Mandel said. “They’re going to challenge me both financially and legally.”
Before taking the battle to court, the two funeral business owners took to fighting in the pages of the Tribune’s obituary section.
Both businesses have bought numerous advertisements pointing the finger at each other as they fight for the name “Lloyd Mandel.”
A spokeswoman for Service Corp. International said she could not comment on pending litigation.
Source: ChicagoBreakingNews.com
