Regulation agency Greenberg Traurig newest to maneuver to chop ties with Kanye West

One of many world’s largest regulation corporations, Greenberg Traurig, has turn into the newest to start the method of chopping ties with Kanye West within the wake of the rapper’s repeated anti-Semitic feedback.

“We’re taking steps in response to the reported remarks in accordance with moral obligations and courtroom guidelines,” the Florida-based agency, which is representing West’s firms in two ongoing circumstances, stated in a press release.

“We condemn anti-Semitism and all hate speech or bigotry, which is repugnant to the core values we imagine in and dwell,” it added.

Greenberg attorneys are defending West and his entities in a civil go well with introduced by Extremely Worldwide Music Publishing within the southern district of New York. The corporate alleges that “Flowers”, a observe on West’s self-released 2022 album Donda 2, infringed copyright regulation by sampling a music written by musician Marshall Jefferson in 1986.

Greenberg can be defending West in a case introduced in federal courtroom in California by performers employed to work on the rapper’s Nebuchadnezzar opera at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl in 2019. The performers allege they weren’t paid the minimal wage or extra time and weren’t given ample breaks.

Whereas there are procedural hurdles to withdrawing from ongoing litigation, Greenberg is inspecting the way it can drop West as a shopper in each circumstances.

“This agency was based by people who confronted discrimination and many people misplaced ancestors due to that form of hate and prejudice,” the corporate stated in its assertion, referring to Larry Hoffman, Mel Greenberg, and Robert Traurig, all of whom had been Jewish.

The trio shaped Greenberg Traurig in 1967, at a time when Jewish attorneys had been nonetheless unwelcome in lots of “white-shoe” corporations.

A consultant for West couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.

Greenberg’s transfer comes after Wall Avenue regulation agency Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft publicly severed ties with West, simply weeks after agreeing to characterize his firm Yeezy in a authorized battle with Hole.

“We aren’t at the moment engaged on any issues for Ye, and now we have made the choice to not work with him sooner or later,” Cadwalader stated.

A number of different massive companies have stopped doing enterprise with West, who now goes by Ye, up to now few days. On Tuesday, Adidas stated it was terminating its partnership with the rapper, in a transfer that might value the German sportswear large as much as €250mn in misplaced income.

Vogue model Balenciaga and Hollywood expertise company CAA have additionally introduced that they’d terminate their enterprise with West.