October 14, 2025
The judge approved the sanctions against the plaintiff’s lead counsel.
A federal judge who presided over the dropped lawsuit case on Nelly’s Country Grammar album says the rapper is entitled to some repayment.
On Oct. 10, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger argued that Nelly should be reimbursed for his legal fees. The lawsuit was filed by Ali Jones, his former bandmate in St. Lunatics, claiming back pay for the album. The judge called the lawsuit “baseless” and “frivolous,” and said that Nelly should be compensated even beyond defeating the case.
“It should have been patently obvious to [Ali]’s attorneys that his copyright ownership claim was time-barred. After being placed on notice that the [case] stood no chance of success, [Ali] did not withdraw his complaint. Instead, his attorneys doubled down,” the magistrate wrote, as reported by Billboard.
Ali had alleged that Nelly owed him a cut of the royalties from the group’s debut solo album. However, Nelly’s lawyers argued that the September 2024 filing occurred years outside the statute of limitations.
Lehrburger also urged the lawyers to be punished for pursuing the case even with the warning of its failure. Ali asserted that Nelly “manipulated” the bandmates into believing they would receive payment and credit for their work on the album.
Nelly, whose real name is Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., was a member of the ’90s hip-hop group from St. Louis. However, he left the band following the success of the 2000 LP, which released hits such as “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma.”
While Ali tried to get back what he believed was rightfully owed, he had waited too long to seek justice. Although three other St. Lunatics bandmates were listed on the suit, they swiftly dropped out. The musicians claimed that they did not intend to pursue legal action against Nelly. Ali dropped out of the lawsuit in April without further explanation.
Despite the dropped lawsuit, Nelly’s defense team requested sanctions, or legal penalties, for the time and money their client spent. Although rare to approve, Judge Lehrburger also agreed with this request, noting how “groundless” the claims were. The judge also noted that Ali’s lead counsel, Precious Felder Gates, filed an updated pleading that “manipulated the pleadings” and let the case drag on unnecessarily.
However, how much Felder Gates will pay remains unknown, as the judge did not specify an exact amount. However, the judge noted that the sum must cover Nelly’s legal bills since the refiling.
The rapper’s lawyer, Ken Fruendlich, also released a statement upon Lehrburger’s ruling.
“This case sends a message to lawyers that there will be consequences for dragging a Defendant into an action that is frivolous on its face and refusing to withdraw it. There is a lane of course for zealous advocacy, but when the case is time-barred according to a plaintiff’s own pleading, it has no place in the system.”
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