Nelly is making it clear that he won’t entertain baseless legal battles. The rap superstar is demanding more than $78,000 in legal fees from the attorney who filed what a federal judge has dismissed as a completely “frivolous” lawsuit over royalties from Country Grammar.
The lawsuit — initiated by former St. Lunatics member Ali — accused Nelly of denying his former groupmates proper credit and royalty payments. However, the case quickly unraveled after three other St. Lunatics members publicly distanced themselves from the filing. With the statute of limitations also long expired, the court ruled the case had no merit and should never have moved forward.
Nelly’s legal team is now insisting that Ali’s attorney, Precious Felder Gates, be held responsible for the costs associated with defending the rapper. They argue she should pay for the 142 hours spent dismantling the lawsuit.
Felder Gates, however, says the sanctions are unwarranted. Speaking to Billboard, she maintained that she:
“acted with honest conviction that our client’s claims merited judicial consideration.”
