AceShowbiz - Nelly has been awarded $67,586 for legal fees after a federal judge dismissed a frivolous copyright lawsuit filed against him.

On May 28, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero ruled that the compensation claimed by Nelly's legal team was justified. The fees were incurred defending against claims made by former St. Lunatics member Ali Jones, who alleged that Nelly had wrongfully excluded him from royalties and credits related to the 2000 album Country Grammar.

The dispute dates back to September 2024, when Jones filed suit demanding $50 million in damages and accusing Nelly of deceptive practices involving group compensation. Although three other St. Lunatics members initially joined the lawsuit, they later withdrew, stating they had not authorized the legal action.

The court found the claims were barred by the statute of limitations, meaning they were filed too late to proceed. Jones's legal team, led by attorney Precious Felder, challenged the payment of Nelly's fees, arguing that the billing was vague, included clerical work, and involved excessive hours. However, Judge Marrero rejected these objections.

The judge deemed the hourly rates reasonable, approving fees of $725 per hour for Kenneth Freundlich, $575 per hour for Jonah Grossbardt, and $375 per hour for Hugh Rosenberg. He reduced the initial request of $84,482.50 by 20 percent, cutting hours related to vague or administrative tasks, resulting in the final award of $67,586.

This ruling underscores the court’s unwillingness to allow defendants to be burdened by meritless lawsuits. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger had previously recommended sanctions against Felder, citing bad faith and unnecessary prolonging of the case despite it lacking legal merit.

The court also found that having multiple lawyers of varying experience levels working on the case was reasonable, dismissing claims of overstaffing. The awarded fees break down as $12,006 to Freundlich Law, $45,080 to Grossbardt, and $10,500 to Rosenberg.

Nelly is required to provide written certification upon receipt of these payments.

This article is based on reporting originally published by AllHipHop.