Damon Dash, co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, faces further legal turmoil as court documents reveal a breach in his agreement with legal representation amid a $51 million lawsuit filed by Monique Bunn.
Sanders Roberts LLP, the law firm representing Dash, filed a motion to withdraw as counsel, citing ongoing breaches of contractual obligations by Dash, Damon Dash Studios, Poppington LLC, and Raquel Horn. The firm alleges Dash’s failure to meet financial obligations outlined in their retainer agreement, prompting an enforcement action.
Felton T. Newell, a partner at Sanders Roberts LLP, emphasized the significant time dedicated to Dash’s representation. However, the Roc-A-Fella co-founder’s substantial overdue legal bills have strained the lawyer-client relationship, leading the firm to conclude it can no longer effectively represent Dash in the high-stakes lawsuit.
The court has scheduled a hearing on May 28, 2024, to address the motion. If granted, another attorney named Xavier Robert Donaldson will continue representing Damon Dash.
Dash finds himself embroiled in legal conflicts with photographer Monique Bunn and her lawyer, Christopher Brown, dating back to April 2019. Bunn’s accusations of inappropriate behavior and the withholding of a hard drive containing celebrity photographs led to a $51 million damages claim.
While cleared of sexual assault charges, Dash was found liable for libel, resulting in a $30,000 defamation award to Bunn. Despite the victory, Bunn and Brown are pursuing additional legal action, including a demand for a new trial over the jury’s decision to award zero damages for alleged property damage.
In a separate lawsuit, Bunn seeks an additional $1 million for defamation, arising from claims made by Dash and his wife in a video, where they accused her of theft over alleged unauthorized credit card charges.
Damon Dash vehemently denies the allegations, framing them as extortion attempts orchestrated by Christopher Brown. Brown has previously won two lawsuits against Dash, including one related to the unauthorized shopping and selling of a film based on Bunn’s “Mafietta” book series.
The legal battles extend to a judgment over the movie “Dear Frank,” where Dash owes $832,000 to Josh Webbber. Webbber’s legal team is pursuing Dash’s shares in Roc-A-Fella Records to satisfy the debt.
Dash’s defense contends that these lawsuits are part of a series of frivolous litigations aimed at harassing him, dismissing the sexual assault allegations as “fantastical” and accusing Brown of exploiting the legal system for media attention.
