Ron Sweeney responds to reports of Lil Wayne lawsuit: ‘My case is still active’

In an exclusive statement to AllHipHop, veteran attorney Ron Sweeney refuted reports that he lost his lawsuit against Lil Wayne, insisting that his case “remains very active.”

Attorney Ronald Sweeney has represented Lil Wayne and played a key role in the rapper’s long-running legal battle with Cash Money Records, though he’s not backing down despite recent reports. The industry veteran released an exclusive statement to AllHipHop in response to recent reports that he lost the Grammy winner’s lawsuit.

Sweeney is a high-powered attorney who has worked with Eazy-E, Sean “Diddy” Combs and others, and was instrumental in helping Lil Wayne gain his freedom. He helped broker a major financial settlement between Cash Money and Universal Music Group, reportedly worth more than $100 million.

Recent reports circulating online claim that Sweeney’s lawsuit against Wayne was dismissed and ordered to pay the rapper $20 million. However, Sweeney said the reports were false and misleading.

Below is the full text of Ron Sweeney’s statement, printed upon request – unedited:

“Contrary to some reports, the court did not dismiss my lawsuit against Lil Wayne, nor did it order me to pay him the $20 million. In January 2023, the New York Court of Appeals dismissed Wayne’s $20 million lawsuit against me and stated that his lawsuit against me was baseless.

At Wayne’s direction, his attorneys filed baseless lawsuits designed to attack my name and reputation without any due diligence. Among these false accusations, I was accused of receiving an additional 10% from the settlement of the Cash Money Universal lawsuit. In fact, I negotiated with the litigation attorney to reduce Wayne’s legal fees by 10%, saving him tens of millions of dollars.

I sued Wayne for money owed for work I performed on his behalf as attorney, personal manager, and record executive for Young Money Records, one of the most successful record labels in the industry. For 13 years, Wayne and I had an agreement based on mutual trust and he paid me 10% without hesitation. It was a handshake agreement and I respected it every step of the way.

I’m from the streets of South Central Los Angeles. I was taught that your promise is your covenant. I made a commitment, I made a commitment to Wayne. He has earned over $300 million in revenue as a result of my services and operating his businesses on his behalf. Wayne admitted during his testimony that I had never stolen from him or lied to him.

Although my duties were different, the court ruled that all of my services should be to the standards of an attorney. Since I did not have a written agreement with Wayne, Wayne had the right under California law to rescind our agreement, but I was still entitled to be paid “the reasonable value of my services.” My case against Wayne remains active and is heading to a jury trial. The overwhelming evidence and my witnesses will corroborate all of my claims.

Based on the exceptional service I provided and the incredible results I achieved for Wayne, I am confident that at trial, after the jury reviews my evidence and witness testimony, the jury will rule that I am entitled to 10% as the “reasonable value of my services.”

Sweeney remains adamant that his lawsuit is ongoing and hopes a jury will uphold his position.

The dispute between Lil Wayne and Sweeney stems from a long-standing professional relationship that began during the tumultuous years of Wayne’s battle with Cash Money co-founder Bryan “Birdman” Williams over unpaid royalties and control of Young Money. Sweeney helped lead the legal and business restructuring that ultimately gave Wynn an ownership stake and a huge payout before the partnership soured.

As the case heads to trial, Sweeney said he stands by his record and reputation: He’s a man of his word who helped achieve one of the largest settlements in modern hip-hop history.

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