Chance the Rapper has secured another legal victory over his former manager, Pat Corcoran. A Chicago judge ordered Corcoran to forfeit merchandising-related commissions and management fees. The ruling follows the rapper’s March trial victory involving contract and interference claims. It also resolves a remaining breach of fiduciary duty claim.
Chance the Rapper wins another legal victory over former manager Pat Corcoran
As per a Rolling Stone-obtained 28-page ruling, Cook County Circuit Court Judge James E. Hanlon Jr. ordered Corcoran to surrender commissions from certain merchandise vendors and forfeit his 15% management fee tied to merchandising deals. The judge wrote, “Corcoran breached his duty. His merchandise company took commissions from Bennett’s own vendors on Bennett’s own orders, which is a secret profit.”
Although the exact amount has yet to be determined, Chance’s representatives said Corcoran could forfeit up to $1.5 million in management fees. This would be in addition to commissions received from merchandise vendors. However, the judge rejected the rapper’s requests for punitive damages and the forfeiture of all of Corcoran’s earnings. Instead, the judge noted that Corcoran’s disloyal conduct was concentrated in the merchandise business.
“Stripping Corcoran of all his compensation across the life of the relationship would hand Bennett a windfall and would punish loyal work along with disloyal work,” Hanlon wrote.
The judge also ordered Corcoran to transfer ownership of chancraps.com to the rapper. Corcoran registered the domain in his name in 2013. He retained control of it throughout five years of litigation.
Chance, whose legal name is Chancelor Bennett, said he was ready to move forward. “I’m grateful to finally close this chapter of my life and can’t wait to eventually tell my side of the story,” he told Rolling Stone.
Corcoran’s spokesperson, meanwhile, said the court found no basis for Chance’s claim for more than $10 million in damages. The spokesperson added that the rapper must prove he suffered harm in the limited merchandising areas covered by the ruling.
