Industry Noize: Rowe Drops Liens, Is Freed

Leonard Rowe, former president of the Black Promoters Association, was ordered released from federal custody Aug. 1 after he submitted proof to a U.S. District Court judge that he’s withdrawn some $1.4 billion in liens against William Morris Endeavor, IMG Worldwide and others.

He’d been “civilly confined” since April 9, when Rowe was arrested at his Atlanta home a month after Judge Robert P. Patterson found him in contempt of court for filing the liens in defiance of a 2013 permanent injunction. Rowe filed 22 liens between Feb. 4 and March 12 against WME, IMG, law firm Loeb & Loeb and numerous individual attorneys.

Liens against WME totaled some $500,000.

Rowe and three other promoters filed suit against William Morris and a number of other agencies and promoters in the late ’90s, claiming black concert promoters were subjected to discriminatory and anti-competitive business practices by others in the industry.

The suit was thrown out in 2005 and denied a writ of certiorari by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, Rowe continued to petition to reopen the case. Patterson issued a permanent injunction against Rowe in December after he threatened to file the liens.

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