Recently I was alerted to a thread on a forum at Muffwiggler.com. Some had questioned my Gearslutz co-ownership due to their inability to find my case number online. I responded with more information as to how to obtain further verification. But my post has mysteriously disappeared.
As I believe that the issue of legal and business traps in the world of music and audio is important as public knowledge and education I'm posting it here. Please feel free to share;
"My name is Meg Lee Chin. I'm the woman that built Gearslutz with Julian Standen.
The recent debate over the name change has drawn me into a public debate. As such I've started to develop a website that will detail the true history of the site and the resulting trial. I hope to provide information for musicians, artists, and those who find themselves in a position where through lack of knowledge, wealth, or power, the law can be weaponized against them.
This was the situation when my former business partner seized my co-ownership of Gearslutz.com. Having wealth and family connections behind him I was outgunned by the sheer legal power. Also, possession is 9/10ths of the law. Here in the UK, unlike in the US, the law does not provide much in the way of compensation for damages or duress caused. As such seizing ownership can actually be an effective method of increasing your negotiating hand.
Sad but true.
Unlike my opponent who had ample resources to draw upon, I was left to fight by myself as a Litigant in Person for a number of years until I found representation for the trial.
By contrast, with Gearslutz in his possession as leverage, Standen was able to hire Allen and Overy - one of the top "magic circle" law firms in the world.
In 2010 I finally managed to find a solicitor (lawyer) on a No win - No fee basis. But this was almost like the frying pan into the fire. The problem with these desperado deals is your lawyer has little interest in getting you the best deal. Instead, it is in their interest to pressure you into a quick settlement. Therefore the outcome was poor. If you count the 5 years working hard on the site plus the 3 years spent fighting the lawsuit plus the 50% my lawyers took, I ended up having worked for less than minimum wage.
In answer to requests as to where the transcript can be found online, UK trials are not all listed on the web. This is especially as ours was a "split trial" which means it was divided into two parts, one of Liability which determines if the Defendant is liable. The other trial was that of "Quanta" which means how much is owed.
I won the first trial of liability (In other words I was recognized as a co-owner). This paved the way for an out-of-court settlement, therefore we could avoid the 2nd trial for Quanta (how much). Prior to my win, Standen wouldn't even admit I was a partner.
The case name was "Margaret Li Chin O'Leary vs Julian Standen". The trial to determine liability was held on the 18th June 2010 in the Chancery Division of the High Court of Justice in London, England where Judge Justice Briggs ruled in my favor in Claim# HC07C0318 proving that I was indeed a partner and not just the "hired" help as Standen had claimed. My solicitor was Joseph Kosky of Rochman Landau LLP (now with Greenwoods) and the barrister representing me was Mark Blackett-Ord of Lincoln's Inn. Standen's solicitors were Catriona Smith and Colleen Keck, then both partners at Allen and Overy.
It's early days for the Gearwarz website. I've just started to flesh out the skeleton so it's a bit "bare bones" and far from complete. As I refused to sign an NDA I will include everything that I am legally entitled to publish. Eventually, I hope my experience and all I've learned will be useful to others who find themselves in a Davey and Goliath-style legal battle.
We live in a world where those who cheat or steal often win. At such times, the only weapon we may have to fight back is our voice. I recently learned that Standen may be trying to block an article about my story that was due to be published on Soundgirls.org. I don't know if he'll be successful in silencing me this time but he certainly won't be able to silence me forever."