November 26, 2009

By By Robert Thompson, Toronto

The struggle between the Canadian firm that acquired Death Row in January and the hip-hop label's apparently exiled chief executive is set to continue in a New York City court.

Songwriter and music lawyer Lara Lavi became Death Row CEO earlier this year after her former company WIDEawake Entertainment bought the label for $18 million ($21.6 million Canadian) with funding provided by Mississauga-based venture capital firm New Solutions Group.

Last week, Lavi sought a court injunction against New Solutions (Billboard.biz, Nov. 19), claiming in her submission that its CEO Ronald Ovenden had undertaken "self-dealing actions," that led the label to "adopt unauthorized liabilities."

New Solutions had reportedly attempted to fire Lavi from Death Row in the second week of November. New York Supreme Court Judge Barbara Kapnick ordered a temporary restraining order against New Solutions until the Dec. 3 hearing and ordered Lavi to file a $2 million ($2.1 million Canadian) "undertaking."

A spokeswoman for Lavi says that money has been provided and adds there are questions about whether New Solutions has the authority to fire Lavi. "Any claim [New Solutions] has about Death Row is being brought into question," she says. In a text message, Lavi told Billboard.biz the judge had ordered her not to talk about the case.

Meanwhile, New Solutions response didn't return Billboard.biz's phone calls/e-mails and has issued no statement.

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