Country singer Garth Brooks has been sued by his former business partner, Lisa Sanderson, who claims she was persuaded to work on his behalf with the promise of great rewards. More specifically, the complaint alleges Brooks breached an oral contract and fraud. Sanderson seeks damages in the amount of $425,000 for unpaid salary, bonuses and punitive damages. Sanderson says she worked with Brooks for 20 years bringing him television and movie work.
Sanderson alleges that she was “lured” away from a “successful and highly fulfilling career in television” because Brooks allegedly promised her 50 percent of producer fees paid to his production company called Red Strokes. Sanderson worked with Merv Griffin and has several TV movie executive producer credits. Sanderson claims Brooks had ridiculous excuses for not doing the TV and movie projects she brought to him.
Does Sanderson have a legitimate case? Only time will tell. Oral contracts can be enforceable as long as they meet certain requirements and don’t violate the statute of frauds. The statute of frauds is a legal doctrine that requires certain agreements be in writing. In Sanderson’s suit against Brooks, she must prove that a contract existed and that Brooks defaulted on the agreement.
The attorneys at Windtberg & Zdancewicz, PLC, provide clients with experienced legal representation. Our attorneys handle cases from pre-litigation negotiations through litigation, obtaining and enforcing judgments to collect what our clients are owed. If you need assistance, or are interested in learning more, please contact us at (480) 584-5660.