By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A Briland tourism operator is accusing its now-estranged US business partner of “interfering” with operations and directing visitors to its rivals despite not being permitted to operate in the sector.

Julian ‘Shaq’ Gibson, operator of the Conch & Coconut tour business, destination management and visitor “concierge” experience, who is embroiled in an increasingly bitter legal battle with Pablo Conde in both the Bahamian and south Florida courts, is alleging that the latter has terminated the access he and his staff enjoyed to the company’s booking platforms and social media accounts in a bid to cut-off all potential contacts and leads with visitors.

Detailing these woes in an October 13. 2025, affidavit filed with the south Florida federal court, he is also claiming that Mr Conde and Conch & Coconut LLC - the US-incorporated entity that his former business partner controls, and which shares the same name - also changed the company’s Google business listing to give the impression the Bahamian operation was “temporarily closed” while also removing references to himself from its website.

And Mr Gibson is further accusing his former business partner of “trying to compete” with him, even though he has no permission to legally do so as the tour and destination management business is supposedly reserved for 100 percent Bahamian ownership under the National Investment Policy, by using the ‘Conch & Coconut’ brand name to solicit tourism business and then refer clients to his Harbour Island competitors.

His affidavit also alleges that, when visiting The Bahamas prior to their break-up, Mr Conde had to obtain a work permit from the Bahamas Department of Immigration stating he was a “marketing manager” despite the latter’s own legal filings asserting that he “founded” Conch & Coconut and retained ownership of all trademarks and patents including the business and brand name, logos and all digital infrastructure.

Confirming that Conch & Coconut was “shut down” in May 2025 by the Department of Inland Revenue and Royal Bahamas Police Force for displaying “a fraudulent Business Licence”, which Mr Gibson blamed on his ex-business partner, the former said this was the development that led him to terminate the business relationship with Mr Conde.

“Conde and the Florida LLC have been interfering with Conch & Coconut Ltd’s business operations. Specifically, Conde and the Florida LLC terminated my and my team’s access to the Conch & Coconut e-mail accounts, the booking platforms and tools, social media accounts and Google listing,” Mr Gibson is alleging.

“Conde and the Florida LLC also changed the Google business listing to show that Conch & Coconut Ltd was temporarily closed and changed the Instagram account to private. Conde and the Florida LLC have also changed the website to remove references to me. Since May 2025, Conde and the Florida LLC have tried to compete with Conch & Coconut Ltd despite lacking legal permission to offer the same services in The Bahamas. 

“Instead, Conde and the Florida LLC appear to be using the Conch & Coconut trademarks to solicit business, and then are referring those leads to my competitors in The Bahamas. For example, on the website currently controlled by Conde and the Florida LLC, under Harbour Island golf cart rentals (which is a service provided by me and reserved for Bahamian citizens), Conde and the Florida LLC are directing website visitors to my competitors.”

Acknowledging Mr Conde’s ongoing attempts in the south Florida federal court to effectively shut down Conch & Coconut’s Bahamian operations by obtaining an injunction that would freeze access to the company’s bank accounts and other assets, Mr Gibson said: “I understand that the Florida LLC is attempting to freeze my bank accounts and restrict access to assets in my name. 

“The requested asset freeze is particularly damaging because it targets accounts and assets that are essential for Conch & Coconut’s daily operations, including funds needed to pay employee salaries, maintain our fleet of golf carts and boats, and cover ongoing business expenses. These actions will seriously harm Conch & Coconut financially and will likely force staff lay-offs.

“Conde and the Florida LLC have adversely affected my name, business and reputation. This reputational damage resulted from the Department of Inland Revenue’s closure of my business, which was directly caused by Conde providing a fraudulent Business Licence, as well as the public perception that my business had ceased operations,” Mr Gibson continued. 

“The reputational harm includes damage to the personal brand I built over seven years of operations on Harbour Island and Eleuthera, where I am publicly recognized as ‘Julian’ and ‘Shaq’ in customer reviews and testimonials. This reputational damage is compounded by the Florida LLC’s attempts to compete with my Bahamian operations and create market confusion about the legitimate provider of Conch & Coconut services in The Bahamas.”

However, Mr Conde, in a July 30, 2025, claim filed against Mr Gibson and the Bahamas-based business, is arguing that it is they who are continuing “to unlawfully exploit” his intellectual property through the use of Conch & Coconut’s brand name, logos and other material said to be patented and trademarked. He is claiming general damages of $1.025m before the Supreme Court.

Asserting that Conch & Coconut was founded by himself, and “conceived as a family-owned business designed to bring luxury concierge and destination experiences” to both Harbour Island and Eleuthera, Mr Conde admitted that he teamed with Mr Gibson with the latter appointed as the Bahamian operation’s “sole director and shareholder” because “this structure was necessary to comply with local regulations”.

Mr Conde said there was “a mutual understanding” that he would retain ownership of all intellectual property employed in the Bahamian operations, while Mr Gibson would act as “a local facilitator and operator” on his behalf. He added he provided all necessary financing and equipment, including the golf carts, booking system and client databases.

The ex-US partner alleged that relations broke down when Conch & Coconut defaulted on its VAT and Business Licence fee obligations to the Government, “resulting in repetitional and regulatory consequences” for the Bahamian operation including the Department of Inland Revenue probe. As a result, Mr Conde claims he terminated their partnership and demanded that Mr Gibson cease all use of the Conch & Coconut trade name and branding.

“Despite these instructions, the defendants continued to operate a business under the names ‘Conch & Coconut Bahamas’ and ‘Crack Open the Island life’, using the claimant’s branding, materials, client data and goodwill,” Mr Conde alleged.

“Defendants continued to unlawfully exploit the claimant’s intellectual property and market identity, holding themselves out to be affiliated with - or a continuation of - the original Conch & Coconut business. The claimant has suffered irreparable reputational and commercial harm, including the loss of client relationships, the cancellation of confirmed bookings, confusion among business partners and negative social media attention.”

Mr Conde is effectively accusing Mr Gibson and others of stealing “the brand and business structure” that he financed and built.

He is claiming that Mr Gibson and his associates have engaged in “theft of trade secrets” and “unfair competition” by obtaining Conch & Coconut’s customer data, and “cancelling” or closing out its existing bookings, ahead of launching a rival business offering the same services under the same brand name.

However, Mr Gibson has countered with legal action of his own and is accusing Mr Conde of “preying” upon himself and others to launch illegal “fronting” operations in industries reserved solely for local ownership.

He is also seeking to turn the tables on his former US partner through blaming him for Conch & Coconut accruing more than $1m in unpaid tax arrears in The Bahamas, asserting that Mr Conde took responsibility for, but never paid, $800,000 in unpaid taxes owed to the Department of Inland Revenue. Mr Gibson said he had complied with the payment plan agreed with the tax authorities.