Jay-Z Still Isn’t Letting Tony Buzbee Off The Hook
Are you interested in powerful figures getting their comeuppance against hostile lawyers while also needing a break from Trump’s tirade against Biglaw? Well, do I have the story for you!
You may remember Tony Buzbee’s bold promise to go after the celebrities involves in Diddy’s freakoffs. Buzbee made an attempt at Shawn Carter’s reputation and wallet not long after. And although Buzbee’s charges against Jay-Z have dropped, Jay-Z’s decision to countersue is still putting pressure on the lawyer. Buzbee was able to get the extortion prong of Jay-Z’s countersuit dismissed, but he could really use a break from the defamation prong. No, seriously — he’s asking the judge to cut him some slack. Law360 has coverage:
Counsel for personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee urged a California state judge on Tuesday to shut down Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter’s extortion and defamation suit over now-dismissed rape claims…”This is a well-funded, powerful figure who’s trying to punish lawyers who do what lawyers do,” said Samuel Moniz of Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, who represents Buzbee, during Tuesday’s hearing. “The Buzbee parties did not do anything that’s over the line here. But Carter is obviously really mad and determined to use his resources to send a message to lawyers and plaintiffs everywhere.”
Good thing Buzbee didn’t hire a lawyer from Skadden or Kirkland — they would have told him just to pledge millions of dollars worth of pro bono hours to Jay-Z rather than defending himself. Instead, Moniz is arguing that anti-SLAPP protections should nip this suit in the bud. The strategy proved successful with the extortion prong of the suit, why not cross apply it here? The judge seems amenable to the argument; now we just have to wait and see how it pans out.
For more information, the case name is Shawn Carter v. The Buzbee Law Firm et al., case number 24SMCV05637, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of Los Angeles.
Jay-Z ‘Trying To Punish’ Buzbee For Advocacy, Judge Told [Law360]
Earlier: Tracking Down Collaborators Or Diddy By Association?
Tony Buzbee Still Has To Deal With Jay-Z’s Defamation Countersuit
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who is learning to swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
