Legal Drama

U.S.A Legal Drama: Manhattan Lawyer Sues Over Rolex Watch on Drake ‘Take Care’ Album Cover

Drake says he bought the Rolex watch on his album cover ‘Take Care’ directly from Rolex. However, a Manhattan lawyer disagrees and says a Jeweler who had custody of his watch actually sold his Rolex to Drake. The lawyer has now sued.

First, as I say often, don’t mess with the lawyers. They are programmed to sue/fight and are relentless at it should they feel they are in the right. They typically will wear you down so if you will fight, save the cash and be prepared mentally and emotionally for the long haul.  Second, the lawyer here sues in civil court to recover monetary damages. However, this kind of case could carry criminal implications. I have had the opportunity to defend persons accused of “Receiving Stolen Property” under California Penal Code Section 496. This is a very common charge that can either be charged by the DA as a misdemeanor or a felony.

For my AML USA readers, in a state like California, for example, under California Penal Code Section 496, Receiving stolen property is where a property was stolen, you knew it was stolen yet you still bought,sold,received,concealed, or withheld the property.

A key thing here to note is “know/knew it is/was stolen.” If you had no idea and reasonably believed the property was NOT stolen, this could exonerate you, especially where you do not have a rap sheet i..e a criminal record and it is your first brush with the law.

For Americans of African heritage in the USA, I am see more of our young people getting caught up in the criminal justice system. Many times, it is their naivety that gets them there in the first place. So, when you read information on this portal, don’t just hug it to yourself. Share it with your loved ones i.e. your little brothers and sisters, cousins etc., especially the ones that many times kick it with the wrong crowd.

“Manhattan lawyer James McMillan said he purchased a brand-new, rose-gold Rolex Presidential with a diamond bezel for $30,000 back in 2009 at Rafaello & Co. on West 47th Street, and happily wore the splashy timepiece for two years without any problems.

Last year, the Manhattan entertainment lawyer brought the watch in for a cleaning at the same store, which boasts Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx and Carmelo Anthony among its clients.

But when he went back a week later to pick it up, staffers told him his beloved bling wasn’t there — because owner Rafael Aranbayev “loved the Rolex so much he was now wearing it as his own personal watch,” McMillan claims in a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.

Assured the watch would be returned, a perplexed but determined McMillan waited another week and went back to the store. This time he was told the watch was “gone.”

They gave McMillan a Franck Muller watch, which can range from $30,000 to $180,000 in price, to hold and fitted him for a new Rolex, repeatedly promising to replace the custom timepiece. McMillan, convinced a new watch was on its way, even returned the Muller.

New York Post has the story.

-Uduak
@uduaklaw

Photocredit: TMZ/Drake Promotional Picture

Africa Music Law™

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ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Credited for several firsts in the fashion and entertainment industry, Uduak Oduok (Ms. Uduak) is a fashion and entertainment lawyer, speaker, visionary, gamechanger, trailblazer, and recognized thought leader, for her work on Africa’s emerging global fashion and entertainment markets, and the niche practice of fashion law in the United States. She is also the founder of ‘Africa Music Law,’ an industry go-to music business and law blog and podcast show empowering African artists. Her work in the creative and legal industries has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including an award from the American University Washington College of Law for her “legal impact in the field of intellectual property in Africa." She has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at several institutions in the United States. For more information, visit her at https://msuduak.com.

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