(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Backstreet Boys filed a lawsuit against Louis Pearlman and his Trans Continental Records on November 3rd for reimbursement of legal settlements the group paid to former member Sam “Phoenix Stone” Licata and former manager Sybil Hall and Jeanne Tanzy Williams.
The settlement amounts were confidential and have not been disclosed.
The complaint alleges that Pearlman orchestrated control over a number of corporations that held rights to the Boys’ entertainment services and products since the group first formed in 1993.
The group and their corporations allege that Pearlman did not properly handle the 1993 departure of Hall, Williams and Licata. Pearlman induced the band to sign agreements dissolving a corporation, effectively cutting the three out of future revenues, but as a result, Pearlman put the group’s assets at risk from legal claims made by the departing parties. Disputes with the three were settled in 2004.
A spokesperson for Trans Continental told Billboard: "Lou Pearlman and Trans Continental Records have been operating in accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement reached in December 2000 with the Backstreet Boys. This lawsuit is without merit and is a classic example of the typical frivolous lawsuits that the United States Congress is trying to eliminate."
"All claims referenced in this recent action have been fully disclosed and settled under the existing settlement agreement. It's a shame that attorneys keep trying to run up fees for frivolous attempts and actions. Mr. Pearlman and Trans Continental Records still share in revenue received from the records sales of the Backstreet Boys and wishes them continued success." –by CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
