Lil Wayne and his former lawyer Ron Sweeney went back in forth in court over legal fees that Weezy allegedly owed him.
Lil Wayne can finally put a years-long legal dispute to rest as he continues to raise fans’ eyebrows with new music. According to Digital Music News, a judge ruled in his favor concerning a battle with his former lawyer Ron Sweeney.
For those unaware, Weezy sued Sweeney in 2019 for an “exorbitant” contingency fee that saw the attorney make 10 percent of the rapper’s profits. He claimed that this was “double the customary rate for attorneys in the music industry,” and that this wasn’t legally binding because the verbal agreement never actually got a signature since he fired the lawyer in 2018.
On the other hand, Ron Sweeney countersued the rock-curious MC in California and in New York, arguing that Wayne owed him $20 million from post-firing deals and that the court should enforce the contingency fee. The deals reportedly include a Cash Money Records royalties settlement and UMG’s alleged purchase of Young Money master recordings.
Lil Wayne Lawsuit
Now, on Tuesday (October 14), New York Judge James D’Auguste ruled that Tunechi does not owe Ron Sweeney 10 percent of any money he made after they split. “Counterclaim plaintiffs may not, under [the law], receive a contingency fee. As contemplated by the voided oral contingency fee arrangement or otherwise,” court documents reportedly read. “Accordingly, they are not entitled to discovery regarding the monies received by [Wayne] in connection with the master recordings sale and Cash Money/Universal settlements.”
Furthermore, Sweeney can seek “reasonable fees” from the mixtape legend (determined in evidence discovery). He still wants his money, but Lil Wayne says he actually overpaid him in their 13-year work relationship, so he argues that this is moot. “After an almost seven-year battle in multiple courts in New York and California, lawyers can rest a little easier in knowing that the rule of law still matters and will be applied faithfully by courts,” Weezy’s lawyer Jonathan Davis reportedly stated to Billboard.
As Lil Wayne’s legacy continues to evolve, we will see if he publicly responds to this resolution. After all, this legal battle took up a lot of time and energy over the past half-decade-plus.
