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Lawyer Must Repay $67K in Rapper's Lawsuit
28 May
Summary
- Attorney ordered to pay $67,586 in legal fees.
- Lawsuit over 'Country Grammar' album rights deemed frivolous.
- Judge cited the statute of limitations for dismissal.
An attorney has been ordered to pay more than $67,000 in legal fees to rapper Nelly after defending a lawsuit concerning his debut album, 'Country Grammar.' The case, filed by former St. Lunatics member Ali Jones, was voluntarily dropped last year.
Nelly's legal team argued the lawsuit was filed years after the statute of limitations expired. On May 28, 2026, a judge ruled the case was so meritless that the attorney, Precious Felder Gates, must reimburse Nelly for over 150 hours of legal work by his lawyers. The judge found it should have been obvious the case was doomed.
The ruling underscores the dangers of filing meritless lawsuits, a tactic some musicians claim is used to extract quick settlements. Nelly's lead counsel stated that courts have little patience for litigation used as a weapon.
