Michael Jackson’s estate has defended a request to pay its lawyers more than $9 million, pointing to the dramatic change in its financial position since the singer died.
According to the estate, Jackson left behind more than $500 million in debt when he died in 2009, with interest continuing to accumulate. The estate says those debts have since been cleared and its value has grown to about $2 billion.
The estate argues that lawyers and other professionals played a major role in that turnaround and are therefore entitled to the fees being sought for six years of work.
Their work covered tax planning, trademarks, business deals, legal disputes and other matters involving the estate.
The legal fee dispute comes as executor John Branca challenges a request by Paris Jackson for $1,165,481.90 in legal fees.
Branca does not oppose paying Paris for work that benefited the estate. He acknowledged that she helped recover $625,000 in bonuses that had been paid to attorneys.
However, he argues that Paris should only be compensated for legal battles she successfully fought and the actual benefits those efforts brought to the estate’s beneficiaries.
The estate is therefore asking the court to approve the separate $9 million-plus payment to the lawyers who have worked on its affairs over the six-year period.
