A conglomerate of Latin American banks filed a whopper of a lawsuit against Burger King Corp., seeking $35 million on claims the Miami-based restaurant chain burnt its international partners to collect fast profits.

Six affiliated financial institutions accused Burger King in their two-count complaint of fraudulent misrepresentation and negligent misrepresentation. The institutions claim Burger King made false claims about its financial strength to induce partners to participate in an “aggressive global expansion” dependent on joint ventures and third-party capital. But the company never intended to make a good-faith attempt to protect its partners' interests and instead pursued an “illicit goal” at their expense, according to plaintiffs.

Instead of true partnerships, they allege Burger King sought to make minimal capital infusions while deflecting risks to unsuspecting investors.