Court Rejects 3.35 Million Shekel Investment Lawsuit Over Unproven Signature

The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday dismissed a NIS 3.35 million lawsuit filed by the "Good Brothers We Are" partnership against Yuri Kashdan. The partnership claimed Kashdan had provided a check to guarantee their investment funds if the stock value was insufficient, but the court found no proof he signed the check or personally committed to returning the money.

The partnership was ordered to pay Kashdan NIS 150,000 in legal expenses. The central piece of the lawsuit was a check for NIS 3,350,650. The partnership alleged Kashdan gave them the check as security for their investment, seeking the full amount from him when the stock value did not meet expectations.

Kashdan countered that he provided a blank check, unsigned and incomplete, intended only to demonstrate his confidence that the company would allocate promised shares and options to investors. He denied any personal obligation to repay the investment.

The court ruled that the partnership failed to prove Kashdan signed the check. None of their witnesses saw him sign it, and no handwriting expert was presented. Judge Shaked compared the signature on the check to other known examples of Kashdan's signature, deeming it "completely different." However, the court did not declare the signature forged, only that Kashdan's authorship was not proven.

Furthermore, the court stated that even if Kashdan had signed the check, the lawsuit would still fail. The court accepted Kashdan's explanation that the check was meant to secure the allocation of shares and options at a nominal price, a commitment that was fulfilled. The ruling noted inconsistencies and a lack of a written agreement binding Kashdan to repay millions, ultimately dismissing the claim entirely.