A new layer in the case of Tony Buzbee vs. Jay-Z unfolded today after the attorney announced he filed a lawsuit against Roc Nation for allegedly paying past and present clients to sue his firm.
Tony Buzbee Sues Roc Nation and Other Lawyers
On Wednesday (Dec. 18), Texas attorney Tony Buzbee announced in a post on Instagram that he had filed a lawsuit in Harris County, Texas against Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and lawyers Marcy Croft and Quinn Emanuel for “barratry and impersonation of a public official.” Barratry, otherwise known as “ambulance chasing,” is the practice of illegally soliciting clients who are in need of the services of a lawyer. Buzbee claims Roc Nation “is knowingly financing the commission of these criminal offenses, and is therefore guilty of same.” Buzbee also revealed an incident was caught on tape.
Buzbee is the attorney representing a client, known as Jane Doe, who filed a lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping her, along with Diddy, when she was 13 years old in 2000. Hov has released two statements regarding the case over the last week, in which he called Buzbee a “1-800 lawyer” who is looking for fame and money with this civil lawsuit. Alex Spiro, Jay-Z’s attorney, says the story the woman is telling “never happened.”
“Today The Buzbee Law Firm filed suit against Roc Nation, and lawyers Marcy Croft, and Quinn Emanuel for violation of various state laws, including barratry and impersonation of a public official,” Buzbee wrote in part his Instagram post. “The case was brought on behalf of a former client of the firm who was illegally solicited by agents working on behalf of the Defendants. These agents pretended to working for the State of Texas and offered the former client money to sue the Buzbee Law Firm. This illegal conduct has happened more than two dozen times to date and has resulted in two utterly frivolous cases against the firm. The lawsuit filed today alleges that the Defendants’ conspiracy is intended to obstruct justice and prevent the Buzbee Law Firm from pursuing cases related to the Diddy litigation in New York. The conduct isn’t just alleged—it was caught on tape.”
The 14-page lawsuit, obtained by XXL, details how agents allegedly working for attorneys Marcy Croft and Quinn Emanuel used fake badges and pretended to work for the State of Texas in an effort to get individuals to file false claims against Buzbee’s firm.
“Defendants have conspired to obstruct justice by engaging shadowy operatives to illegally
seek out more than two dozen current and former clients of The Buzbee Law Firm to convince
those clients to bring frivolous cases against The Buzbee Law Firm,” the court documents read. “Defendant Roc Nation is financing the effort. Its attorneys, Marcy Croft and Quinn Emanuel, are orchestrating the effort. In some cases, Defendants’ agents pretend to work for the State of Texas and have flashed fake badges. Soliciting clients is a crime in the State of Texas. Paying individuals to file false claims is unethical and criminal in the State of Texas. Impersonating a state official is a crime. In at least one case, Defendants’ agents offered as much as $10,000 to a former client of the Buzbee Law Firm to sue the firm.”
Last week, two lawsuits were filed against the lawyer in a Louisiana federal court. Buzbee is accused of pocketing settlement money through unethical accounting practices.
Tony Buzbee’s Statement on Roc Nation Lawsuit
A representative for Tony Buzbee provided this statement to XXL:
Today The Buzbee Law Firm filed suit against Defendants Roc Nation, Marcy Croft, and Quinn Emanuel for violation of various state laws, including barratry and impersonation of a public official. The case was brought on behalf of a former client of the firm who was illegally solicited by agents working on behalf of the Defendants. These agents pretended to working for the State of Texas and offered the former client money to sue the Buzbee Law Firm. This illegal conduct has happened more than two dozen times to date. The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants’ conspiracy is intended to obstruct justice and prevent the Buzbee Law Firm from pursuing cases against Jay Z and others related to the Diddy litigation in New York. The conduct isn’t just alleged—it was caught on tape.
Defendant Marcy Croft, who describes herself on social media as part of “Team Roc” is alleged in the pleadings to be orchestrating the conspiracy along with assistance from Defendant Quinn Emanual. Croft, Quinn Emanuel, and Roc Nation have a long working history. The suit alleges Defendant Roc Nation is financing the illegal effort.
As set forth in the lawsuit, earlier this week, agents acting on Croft’s behalf again were caught on tape soliciting and offering money (up to $10,000) to former clients of The Buzbee Law Firm to convince them to file a frivolous case against the Buzbee Law Firm. In one of the secret recordings, the scheme is described in detail:
What we’re trying to do is, we are trying put this thing together for the company that we’re working for–
We could get you paid, . . . you could get money right soon, you know?
We gave this kid 1,000 bucks to start yesterday just to get him on the right path.
At the end of the day, this is going to go through the courts, Buzbee is getting sued . . .”
The company referenced in the recording, of course, is Roc Nation. More egregious, in some instances, the agents carrying out the illegal scheme pretend to be acting on behalf of the State of Texas as they become more demanding.
According to Tony Buzbee: “These folks have stooped to a new low to try to intimidate the lawyers of the Buzbee Law Firm from doing their important work. This conduct was specifically targeted at our firm so we would not pursue cases related to the Diddy litigation. But, we will not be bullied or intimidated. The Defendants overstepped, got sloppy, and stupidly got caught in their illegal scheme on tape. We intend to cooperate with authorities to ensure all involved are prosecuted to the full extent allowed under Texas law.”
Roc Nation Calls Tony Buzbee’s Lawsuit “Baloney”
A spokesperson for Roc Nation called Buzbee’s lawsuit “baloney.” “Tony Buzbee’s baloney lawsuit against Roc Nation is nothing but another sham. It’s a pathetic attempt to distract and deflect attention. This sideshow won’t change the ultimate outcome and true justice will be served soon,” the statement given to XXL reads.
Earlier this week, Alex Spiro, Hov’s attorney, held a press conference at Roc Nation’s New York headquarters to address an investigative report and interview with the rape accuser on Dec. 13. During the discussion, Spiro explained how Jay-Z was feeling in light of the allegations. “He’s upset,” Spiro said in a video published by CNN. “He’s upset that somebody would be allowed to do this, to make a mockery of the system like this. He’s upset that this distracts and dissuades real victims from coming forward.”
The woman has maintained she was raped by Jay-Z and Diddy despite inconsistencies in her story.
Read More: Jay-Z Is Upset, Feels a ‘Mockery of the System’ Is Happening With Rape Accusation, Attorney Says
Take a look at Tony Buzbee’s post announcing the lawsuit and the “investigators” caught on camera below.
See Tony Buzbee Announcing His Lawsuit Against Roc Nation and Other Lawyers
See Tony Buzbee’s on the “Investigators” From New York
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