In August, Amy Helm—the daughter of the late Band member Levon Helm and a singer-songwriter in her own right—was sued in federal court for alleged self-dealing, trademark infringement, and causing $2 million in damages to Levon Helm Studios (LHS). Now, Amy Helm has countersued the organization, accusing her successor, Brian Parillo, of using questionable corporate tactics to gain control of the renowned music venue in Woodstock, New York, and improperly securing voting rights from Levon Helm’s widow.
In May, Amy Helm was removed from her role as president of LHS by Sandra Helm (Levon’s widow), along with shareholders Brian Parillo and Barbara O’Brien, who cited mismanagement of the venue. Following her removal, Amy Helm accused Parillo of financial exploitation and elder abuse against Sandra Helm in a June court filing. Parillo denied these allegations. A subsequent physical confrontation between Parillo and Amy Helm occurred at LHS in Woodstock, prompting police involvement. No formal charges were filed.
Filed on October 16 in state Supreme Court, the 34-page complaint alleges that Parillo assumed control of LHS through voting assignments rather than legitimate shareholder processes. Both Sandra Helm and Amy Helm each hold a 40% stake in the company, while Parillo and O’Brien own 10% apiece. According to the lawsuit, Parillo obtained voting agreements from Sandra Helm and O’Brien, giving him de facto control over 60% of the company’s voting power despite holding only a minority share.
Ellen Helm’s legal team argues that LHS’s certificate of incorporation mandates written consent from all shareholders for corporate decisions made outside of formal meetings. The suit claims Parillo excluded her from management operations and unilaterally declared himself director, president, secretary, and treasurer. Amy Helm further alleges she never signed consent forms approving these changes, no shareholder meeting took place, rendering his takeover legally invalid.
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The complaint also suggests that Parillo forged Sandra Helm’s signature on documents related to removing Amy Helm as a director, followed by another consent purporting to replace her as the sole director with himself. The lawsuit contends that Parillo’s conduct constitutes “undue influence” over Sandra Helm, referencing her sworn statement in a separate Levon Helm estate dispute where she expressed concerns about being manipulated—stating, “I thought, ‘they’ve conned me.‘ I’m so gullible, they’re taking advantage of me. How do I undo this? I don’t know why I keep doing this.” A July ruling from Ulster County Surrogate’s Court appointing a guardian ad litem for Sandra Helm is included in the filing, describing her as “a person under disability” and directing the guardian to assess her capacity to engage in the case.