LaMelo Ball and Family’s Clothing Brand Involved in $200 Million Litigation Over Business Interests

LaMelo Ball’s clothing brand and company involved in litigation over interests in family businesses (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)

Charlotte Hornets star basketball player LaMelo Ball and his parents, LaVar and Tina Ball, face a lawsuit of more than $200 million filed by Alan Foster, co-founder of the company Big Baller Brand. The plaintiff accuses them of trademark infringement, fraud, unfair trade practices, among others.

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In a separate case, Lonzo Ball, LaMelo’s older brother and Chicago Bulls guard, is also being sued by Foster, who is seeking more than $600,000 in legal costs and damages that could run into additional millions. Both lawsuits, filed less than two months apart, reflect the deterioration of a previously close relationship between the man and the Ball family, originally from Chino Hills, the Los Angeles Times noted.

The federal lawsuit filed in Los Angeles last week alleged a coordinated effort by the Balls to prevent Foster from having any interest and interference in the family’s businesses and the profits they generate. The other co-defendants include clothing company Puma, LaMelo Ball’s MB1 Enterprises LLC and LaVar’s Big Baller Brand Inc.

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Foster’s attorney, Raymond Brenneman, told the Los Angeles Times that the $200 million figure represents an “estimate of all Puma and Big Baller Brand merchandise that used trademarks owned by Alan Foster.”

Foster became associated with the Ball family more than a decade ago and claims to have helped LaVar and Tina Ball start several of the family’s companies, maintaining a 33% interest in all of them. The lawsuit claims that LaVar Ball started Big Baller Brand Inc. separately in 2019 and the trademarks were transferred from Big Baller Brand LLC to the new company without Foster’s consent.

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The lawsuit also notes allegations of written contract, breach of fiduciary duty and fraudulent trademark registration. Foster claims he helped develop the LaMelo Ball brand, including creating the “MB1” name and design, as well as registering related trademarks for Big Baller Brand LLC, which launched the Hornets player’s signature sneaker, also called MB1, in 2017.

Active case for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty against the Bulls point guard remains in judicial dispute. (USA TODAY Sports)

In another legal suit, Foster contends that Lonzo Ball has profited from the brands he helped build while he has been locked out of the business, depriving him of his share of the profits and assets. In September 2019, the Bulls point guard filed a lawsuit against Foster for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty; That case is still active.

Foster is seeking an undetermined amount of damages, plus more than $600,000 in legal costs and attorney fees from the 2019 lawsuit, TMZ reported.

Currently, the Charlotte Hornets have a record of three wins and six losses in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season, with LaMelo Ball being their best player, averaging 22.2 points, with 5.4 rebounds and 8.6 assists .

2023-11-16 03:22:00
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