Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
When one party sues another over a business dispute, not only does the defendant deny the allegations, but it’s also common for the defendant to countersue, meaning they bring their own allegations against the individual or entity suing them. After Turner “Tfue” Tenney, a professional esports player, sued FaZe Clan, a professional esports organization, FaZe Clan turned around and sued Tenny for allegedly breaching his contract with them and denying them a portion of the income he earned from streaming.
The legal dispute started in May of 2019 when Tenney sued FaZe for allegedly operating as an unlicensed agency, blocking Tenney from various business opportunities, and taking up to 80% of the income Tenney earned.
Tenney claimed that, by allegedly operating as an unlicensed agency, FaZe had violated the California Talent Agency Act (TTA), which prohibits unlicensed agents from managing talent in the state of California. Tenney used this as his basis for asking the court to rule that his contract with FaZe was invalid because it went against California law, but FaZe argued that it hadn’t managed Tenney in the state of California, and so their contract was not subject to California law.
Tenney also alleged FaZe had breached the Gamer Agreement between Tenney and the company by failing to pay an agreed-upon fee of $2,000 per month. FaZe did pay the fee eventually, but Tenney alleged the payments were so late as to render the contract invalid. Continue reading ›