Desmond Pursues Prince In U.S. Courts

After having his lawyers chase Prince around Europe to get the euro 2.2 million ($2.96 million) in damages he was awarded after the star pulled out of a show in Ireland three years ago, promoter Denis Desmond is now pursuing the matter in American courts.

The Irish promoter’s legal team is asking the Central District of the Los Angeles Superior Court to recognise the Irish High Court judgment he won last year because so far he hasn’t received any of the money.

If Desmond wins the L.A. court case, he’ll be able to target Prince’s assets, including his home.

MCD, Desmond’s promotions company, is also seeking an interest payment of 8 percent on the settlement, which would add another euro 176,000 ($237,000) to the total.

Desmond sued Prince for canceling a concert scheduled for Dublin’s Croke Park June 16, 2008, just 13 days before it was to happen.

Desmond says he had sold 55,000 tickets for the show and that Prince has not given a reason for canceling it.

In February 2010, after a four-day hearing in Dublin’s Commercial Court, Prince agreed to pay euro 1.6 million ($2.2 million) in damages and a further euro 600,000 ($807,000) in legal costs.

The money was to be paid within a month but allegedly didn’t arrive. Desmond then obtained a European Enforcement Order, which allowed him to pursue Prince’s assets within the European Union.

His lawyers tried to seize fees that were due to Prince for last year’s string of European shows including Denmark’s Roskilde Festival, Arrass Main Square Festival in France and Werchter Festival Park in Belgium, but without success.

They did, however, manage to obtain preliminary attachment of euro 692,000 ($931,000) held in Prince’s bank accounts in France and Portugal, but Desmond says that money has not come yet either.