Louisiana court rejects ex-wife’s claim to husband’s Raising Cane’s stake after divorce

A business investment made before marriage can become the subject of a legal dispute years after a couple separates, particularly when the ownership structure changes during the marriage. In Louisiana, an early investment connected to the popular restaurant chain Raising Cane's became the focus of a dispute between a divorced couple over whether the former wife could claim a share of her ex-husband's business interests. On November 6, 2026, the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit, rejected her attempt to reopen the division of their property. The ruling in Anne Treme McQueen v. John Blackshear McQueen, available on Justia, upheld a lower court decision finding that the couple's 2007 consent judgment had already allocated property titled in each spouse's name, including the disputed business interests.How the Raising Cane's investment beganAccording to the court's opinion, John McQueen acquired 10,000 preferred shares in Lloyd Bartlett, Inc. before marrying Anne McQueen on October 20, 2001. The corporation was connected to Todd Graves' restaurant business, which developed into Raising Cane's. The business structure changed shortly after the marriage. In November 2001, New LB, Inc. was established as part of a restructuring involving the Raising Cane's-related entities. Lloyd Bartlett, Inc. merged into New LB, which survived the transaction and subsequently adopted the Lloyd Bartlett name.Under the restructuring arrangement, John's original 10,000 preferred shares were exchanged…