Ye contests $1.23 million attorney fee request in Malibu estate lawsuit

Legal representatives for the rapper Ye are petitioning a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to reject a $1.23 million request for attorney fees filed by handyman Tony Saxon. The request follows a March 11 jury verdict in which Saxon was awarded $140,000 in damages related to a dispute over compensation for construction management at Ye’s Malibu estate.

Ye’s defense team argues that the requested amount is “unreasonably inflated,” noting that the fee request is more than eight times the total jury award. They further highlighted that Saxon failed to prove 12 of 13 legal theories presented during the trial. If the court does not deny the request entirely, Ye’s attorneys have requested the amount be reduced to approximately $59,425.

Saxon’s legal team, including West Coast Trial Lawyers, maintains the $1.23 million figure is fair given the complexity of the case involving the Federal Employment and Housing Act and the Labor Code. They noted that the litigation involved significant financial expenses, including over $300,000 in costs. A hearing regarding the fee bid is scheduled for October 7.