An appeal’s court has rejected the bulk of the claims from Lil Wayne’s $20 million lawsuit against his former manager and attorney, Ronald Sweeney.
The Appellate Division addressed four claims from the suit, including causes of action for fraudulent inducement, legal malpractice, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment, according to a report from Law.com.
The First Department’s opinion stated each of the claims was devoid of any merit, shattering Lil Wayne’s chances in the 2019 suit. The Manhattan Supreme Court initially dismissed the four central claims in 2021, along with four more causes of action and some other parts of the claim.
After the appellate court affirmed the earlier decision, Lil Wayne was left with a fraction of his legal action remaining.
Ronald Sweeney’s appeal attorney, John Harris, a partner at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, claims the rapper now has to pay up. Sweeney acted as Lil Wayne’s manager and lawyer since 2005 and is seeking his percentage from his settlement from Birdman and Cash Money Records.
Lil Wayne reportedly refused to show up for a deposition regarding the settlement in August 2021. Sweeny claimed the Louisiana native instructed his team not to provide a date to reschedule the deposition. At the time, he said he believed Weezy was stalling until a judge dismissed his $20 million lawsuit, adding the suit was frivolous.
After the recent appellate court judgment, Harris said he was pleased “that the appellate court rejected Lil Wayne’s cynical attempt to avoid paying Ronald Sweeney for the work that Mr. Sweeney did for him,’ as per Law.com. “Mr. Sweeney will vigorously pursue his claims for payment and require Lil Wayne to appear in court to answer for his actions.”
