After a years‑long legal showdown, Lil Wayne has won a major court victory in his dispute with his former attorney. The decision effectively ends much of the $20 million contractual claim over legal fees and commissions that his ex-attorney had pursued.
Background & Key Details
- The dispute centered on Ronald Sweeney, who claimed he was owed commissions from settlements, master recording sales, and other revenues under a 10% contingency agreement.
- Lil Wayne counters that the 10% verbal agreement was never formally documented, and once he terminated Sweeney in 2018, those terms should no longer apply.
- In the recent ruling, a judge in New York struck down much of the counterclaim, stating that the contingency fee arrangement was not enforceable and cannot be applied to revenues earned after Sweeney’s tenure.
- The judgment does allow Sweeney to pursue “reasonable fees” for work legitimately done, but not the full 10% cut he initially demanded.
What This Victory Means
- Wayne avoids the risk of having to pay an enormous sum in fees that may not have been contractually grounded.
- The ruling sets a precedent in music litigation — that verbal contingency deals, especially after relationships end, may not hold up in court without clear documentation.
- While Sweeney’s broader claims were dismissed, the case may still involve hearings around the “reasonable fees” portion.
- For Lil Wayne, this frees him to focus on other legal battles and his music career without this cloud of uncertainty.
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