Diddy’s lawyers seek to end their representation — The Guardian
In the United States, law firm Sher Tremonte has filed a motion with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to end its representation of rapper Sean Combs, known as Diddy. The firm cited substantial outstanding debt for legal services, costs and expenses, as well as problems cooperating with the client, The Guardian reports.
The law firm’s position
Sher Tremonte partner Michael Tremonte stated in a court filing that Combs had not paid a substantial portion of invoices for fees, costs and expenses that had been overdue for more than six months. According to the firm, during four of those months, the musician was unavailable for timely, substantive and direct discussions of his cases.
In the motion, the lawyers said that the lack of cooperation had caused a breakdown in communication between the client and the attorneys and prevented the firm from continuing to provide Combs with effective legal services. Sher Tremonte represented Combs in a $100 million civil defamation lawsuit.
Combs’ response
In a statement conveyed by his representatives to NBC News, Combs said that he had decided himself to change lawyers. He accused Sher Tremonte of overcharging for its services and billing for expenses that, he said, he had not approved.
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Tremonte rejected these claims. He said that the firm had represented the client conscientiously and effectively, and that the reasons for its withdrawal from the case were overdue invoices and a lack of cooperation from Combs.
Combs is serving a 50-month federal prison sentence for prostitution-related offenses at the Federal Correctional Institution Fort Dix in New Jersey. Earlier this year, Los Angeles prosecutors said they were considering bringing new sexual assault charges against him.
In a separate case, Combs is suing music manager Courtney Burgess, his attorney Ariel Mitchell, and media company Nexstar. Combs called their claims about him false and unfounded.
