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When parties enter into a contract, they expect that both parties will honor it. However, certain circumstances can arise that prevent someone from fulfilling their obligations and the other party needs to be able to exert their rights in such a situation. This may be the case in the contract dispute between Rita Ora and entertainment company Roc Nation, as the most recent legal steps the company has taken is counter-suing the singer.
New York residents may not be aware that Rita Ora had filed a lawsuit in order to be released from her contract with the company, claiming that Jay Z’s company had ‘orphaned’ her as it had begun to pursue other interests. Roc Nation has countersued the singer, claiming she breached the contract by failing to provide the agreed upon number of albums to the company. They are asking for more than $2 million in damages, the amount they state they spent in promoting her unreleased second album. In addition to this, the company has also asked for the judge to award a figure that represents the lost profits, advances and marketing and recording costs, among other costs.
The contract dispute also involves a disagreement over the venue of the dispute, with the company claiming the case belongs in New York as the contract stipulates and the singer claiming it belongs in California. The choice of venue would have important ramifications for contract interpretation as well, as contracts in California limit personal services to seven years but New York does not.
A case revolving around contract disputes can be complicated and involve many technicalities, such as those mentioned above. As each party strives to have their rights protected, an experienced attorney may be able to help New York residents through the process of exercising their contractual rights.
Source: Rolling Stone, “Roc Nation sues Rita Ora for breach of contract,” Feb. 1, 2016, Kory Grow
