Attorneys for Texas State Sen. Royce West are asking a Dallas judge to sanction lawyers for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant for making false and baseless claims in a lawsuit accusing Mr. West of mismanaging the player’s business affairs. Dez has been known to trash talk on the field, but you can’t trash talk your way through the courts,” said Mike Gruber of Dallas-based Gruber Elrod Johansen Hail Shank, who represents Mr. West, who is also a lawyer. “He and his attorneys at Reed Smith should know that you cannot make accusations that aren’t supported by any facts and expect there won’t be consequences. Our motion is the first of those consequences.
Earlier this year, Mr. West sued Mr. Bryant for $60,000 in damages for trashing a rental house that Mr. West had provided to him. In response, Mr. Bryant’s lawyers accused Mr. West of absconding with funds, which the filing claims is ludicrous given that those funds were forwarded to creditors to settle lawsuits against Mr. Bryant. Mr. West’s sanctions motion filed August 17 in Dallas County District Court states that Mr. Bryant and his new attorneys acted in bad faith in their claims against Mr. West, managing partner of Dallas law firm West & Associates, L.L.P. According to the motion, Mr. West’s attorneys immediately pointed out the “legal and factual deficiencies” in Mr. Bryant’s claim and demanded that they withdraw the false and baseless pleading. Yet Mr. Bryant and his lawyers persist, despite their inability to provide a single piece of evidence. Mr. West is seeking dismissal of Mr. Bryant’s counterclaim, attorneys’ fees and other expenses, and a $500,000 sanction payment to be made to the United Negro College Fund. Mr. West is represented by Dallas-based Gruber Elrod Johansen Hail Shank; Mr. Bryant is represented by attorneys with Reed Smith.
The case is Royce B. West v. Desmond D. Bryant, No. DC-16-07364, in the 101st State District Court in Dallas County.
For more information, contact Barry Pound at 800-559-4534 or barry@androvett.com.
