Nicki Minaj’s former lawyers return to court over alleged unpaid bills from copyright case

Nicki Minaj is facing another legal development involving an earlier copyright dispute, this time over the fees charged by the lawyers who represented her in the case. Her former legal team has reportedly returned to court seeking nearly $295,000, claiming that the rapper and her music company failed to clear outstanding bills for their services.

Nicki Minaj's former lawyers approach court to recover unpaid fees

Nicki Minaj’s former lawyers have returned to court in an effort to recover nearly $295,000 in legal fees they claim remain unpaid by the rapper and her music company. The law firm Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani has renewed its request for a default judgement, alleging that Minaj failed to respond to its lawsuit seeking payment for legal services provided in an earlier copyright infringement case.

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According to TheWrap, the firm submitted its latest request on Tuesday, November 3, asking the court to award it $295,605. The legal team had initially filed a separate lawsuit to recover the money in March this year. A hearing on the renewed request has been scheduled for November 16.

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Why are Nicki Minaj’s former lawyers demanding nearly $295,000?

The dispute stems from a legal services agreement Minaj entered into with Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani in October 2024. The firm represented the rapper in a copyright infringement case involving her song I Lied.

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In its declaration, the firm claimed that it had billed Minaj and her company, Harajuku Barbie Music LLC, $229,541.75 for its work. According to the lawyers, the amount remained unpaid when they filed their complaint in March 2026. Contractual late charges subsequently added another $25,249.51 to the outstanding bill. The firm is now seeking a total of $295,605 through a default judgement, which would allow it to recover the claimed amount if the court grants its request.

What was the copyright infringement lawsuit against Nicki Minaj about?

The legal team had represented Minaj in a copyright dispute brought by musician Julius Johnson. He alleged that the rapper's 2014 song I Lied, from her album The Pinkprint, copied elements of his track on my sleeve.

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Johnson's complaint alleged similarities in the instrumentation and beat of the two songs. The copyright case was eventually resolved through a private settlement and dismissed in December 2024. However, the settlement of that dispute did not resolve the separate disagreement between Minaj and her lawyers over their professional fees. The law firm subsequently pursued its own legal action to recover the money it says it is owed.

When will the court hear the latest request?

The law firm has renewed its request after claiming that Minaj did not respond to its lawsuit within the required period after being served. It is now asking the court to enter a default judgement for the outstanding amount.

The hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2026. However, the court has not yet granted the requested $295,605 judgement. So far, the representatives of Nicki Minaj have not responded yet.