{"id":9527,"date":"2026-01-13T17:32:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T17:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/maverick-city-music-countersues-co-founder-over-competing-choir\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T17:42:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T17:42:54","slug":"maverick-city-music-countersues-co-founder-over-competing-choir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/maverick-city-music-countersues-co-founder-over-competing-choir\/","title":{"rendered":"Maverick City Music Countersues Co-Founder Over Competing Choir"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tMaverick City Music is firing back in a legal battle over co-founder Tony Brown<\/strong>\u2019s exit from the Grammy-winning worship collective, accusing the executive of violating his non-compete by launching a new Christian music project.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrown has been suing Maverick City in Georgia court since 2024 for allegedly strong-arming him into signing an unfavorable buyout agreement. The Atlanta-based group denies any wrongdoing, and on Dec. 8, they filed a countersuit in New York, accusing Brown of breaching the terms of that contract.<\/p>\n

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\n\tMaverick City alleges Brown has violated the buyout\u2019s non-compete clause by launching his own worship collective called God Aura. This group, run as an arm of the nonprofit Unseen Voices, released an album called Wonderful Child<\/em> on Dec. 5.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cBrown expressly described the project as \u2018building on the creative DNA that launched Maverick City Music\u2019 and listed as producers, featured or target artists many of the same core creatives who built the Maverick City Music sound, including Chandler Moore, Dante Bowe, Taylor Hill, Ahjah Walls and Nate Moore,\u201d reads the countersuit.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe New York action claims Brown is actively recruiting Maverick City\u2019s artists and producers for God Aura, and that he\u2019s even sent inquiries from his old email account to create the false impression that the projects are connected. Maverick City is now seeking $10 million in damages from Brown for breach of contract, tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets and unfair competition.<\/p>\n

\n\tBrown maintains that he\u2019s done nothing wrong. In court papers filed Jan. 5, his lawyers say the non-compete agreement is not enforceable because Maverick City never paid him the sum agreed to in their buyout deal.<\/p>\n

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\n\tAccording to Brown, he only got involved with Unseen Voices and God Aura because \u201che had no other viable employment option that would allow him to earn income comparable to the outstanding payments that defendants have wrongfully withheld.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA lawyer for Maverick City, Steven Cooper <\/strong>of the firm Reed Smith, told Billboard <\/em>in a statement on Saturday (Jan. 10) that the company will not discuss active litigation.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe New York action seeks to enforce a contract and stop conduct we believe violates ongoing obligations, including misuse of confidential information and attempts to solicit our ecosystem,\u201d said Cooper. \u201cWe will address the claims in court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tBrown\u2019s lawyer, Gary Freed<\/strong>, reiterated the arguments from his court filing in a Monday (Jan. 12) comment to Billboard<\/em>: \u201cWe do not believe the non-competition provision is enforceable because of their failure to pay him the compensation they promised him for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tA hearing on the matter was held on Monday in Atlanta, though a judge has not yet issued any rulings.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe dispute comes as Maverick City is roiling from the exit of flagship member Chandler Moore. Just as he announced his departure from the group in October, Moore filed a lawsuit alleging that Maverick City CEO Norman Gyamfi <\/strong>stole millions of dollars in royalties from him.<\/p>\n

\n\tMaverick City denies Moore\u2019s claims as \u201cwildly untrue.\u201d<\/p>\n


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