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The Killers countersue former manager

By | Published on Monday 23 February 2009

The Killers have responded, somewhat late in the day, to a 2006 lawsuit filed against them by their former manager Braden Merrick by countersuing.

Merrick’s original lawsuit, which followed his sacking as the band’s manager in 2005, named both the band and their new manager Robert Reynolds as defendants. He claimed the band had fired him without legal justification, that Reynolds had interfered in his relationship with the band, and that he was owed royalties from a separate producer agreement.

In their countersuit, the Killers accuse Merrick of incompetence and double dealing which, they say, led to a loss of revenue for the band. Among the allegations are that Merrick worked as a paid consultant for Universal’s Island Def Jam, who release their music in the US, without their knowledge, and in breach of his managerial contract.

The band previously responded to Merrick’s lawsuit by claiming their former manager had represented them without the appropriate licence, as required under Californian law. They wanted past contracts, on which Merrick’s litigation relied, to be voided, and for past commissions paid to the former manager returned.

Merrick’s people say a ruling on that matter is still pending, but that a judge has said that even if the former manager is found at fault regarding the agent licence it is unlikely the court would order the voiding of all contracts and returning of all commissions as a result. The fact the band have launched this new litigation may suggest they too are no longer certain the licence action will fully defend them against claims in the 2006 lawsuit.



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