A nearly $300,000 legal bill has landed Nicki Minaj's former attorneys back in court, but the rapper's disputes with her lawyers don't end there. While one firm is seeking payment in Los Angeles, another is trying to end its representation of the rapper in New York, claiming their professional relationship has deteriorated beyond repair.
According to Billboard, attorneys at Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani filed a renewed request for a default judgment against Minaj in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday (Nov. 3). The firm claims it has received no response to a lawsuit filed in March over outstanding legal fees. It is now asking the court to award about $295,605, including the costs of pursuing payment.
The dispute concerns Gordon Rees' work defending Minaj against a copyright infringement lawsuit involving her 2014 song "I Lied." Composer Julius Johnson accused her of copying elements of his song "onmysleeve," but that case ended in a confidential settlement in late 2024. The firm alleges Minaj subsequently failed to pay its invoices, which initially totaled approximately $229,542.
Documents reviewed by TheWrap also reference contractual late fees that increased the alleged debt. Rees is seeking a default judgment because it says Minaj has not answered its complaint, although the judge has not granted that request.
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Nicki Minaj's Current Lawyers Say Their Relationship Has Broken Down
On the opposite coast, Kurzman Eisenberg Corbin & Lever is encountering its own difficulties representing Minaj and her company, Pink Friday Productions LLC. The firm previously asked to withdraw from a $275,000 lawsuit brought by 24/7 Productions over expenses associated with her 2023 Jingle Ball appearances and promotional events for Pink Friday 2.
Attorney Bruce W. Bieber cited "irreconcilable differences" in an Oct. 23 filing, claiming the parties could no longer agree on litigation strategy. He also described "a breakdown in communication" that had made continued representation unworkable.
The problems reportedly extended to notifying Minaj of the firm's withdrawal request. In subsequent filings, Bieber described unsuccessful attempts to deliver documents to her New York residence. One process server was reportedly told that someone would come downstairs to receive the papers, but nobody appeared. Another attempt on Nov. 2 was unsuccessful when the server was told Minaj was unavailable.
The underlying lawsuit remains contested. 24/7 Productions alleges it was never reimbursed for approximately $275,149 in production and hospitality expenses. Minaj's attorneys have disputed those allegations, maintaining that her company paid what it owed and that she should not be held personally responsible for the company's obligations.
New York Judge Leslie A. Stroth has temporarily paused the proceedings and scheduled a Dec. 1 hearing to address the firm's request to withdraw. The Los Angeles matter has an earlier hearing scheduled for Nov. 16, when Gordon Rees will pursue its requested judgment. Neither firm has received the court ruling it is seeking.
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