By Rose Miami 
HangupsMusic.com – Chicago, IL – In a significant legal victory, Grammy Award-winning artist Chancelor Bennett, widely known as Chance the Rapper, has been awarded a substantial $1.5 million judgment in his ongoing legal battle against his former manager, Patrick Corcoran. This second trial, concluding on Tuesday, October 13th, further solidifies Chance’s position in a protracted dispute over alleged financial misconduct during their professional relationship.
The ruling, delivered by Judge James E. Hanlon Jr., found Corcoran in breach of his fiduciary responsibilities. The core of the judge’s decision centered on Corcoran’s alleged practice of secretly soliciting and accepting side payments from merchandise vendors without the knowledge or consent of Bennett. These undisclosed earnings, which the court termed "secret funds," were deemed a violation of the trust and duties inherent in a managerial agreement. Consequently, Corcoran has been ordered to relinquish these illicit profits to Bennett and to refund the 15% commissions he previously collected on merchandise sales during the period in question.
Judge Hanlon’s written opinion indicated that the precise financial figures would be calculable by the involved parties, leveraging evidence presented during the trial. The judge further stipulated that any ambiguity regarding the nature of specific payments, particularly whether they were directly related to Bennett’s ventures, would be resolved in favor of Bennett. This provision underscores the court’s stance on accountability, placing the burden of proof and record-keeping on Corcoran, whose company managed these transactions.
This latest judgment follows an earlier legal triumph for Chance the Rapper in March, where a Cook County, Illinois jury sided with the artist. That initial trial stemmed from a lawsuit filed by Corcoran, who sought over $3.8 million from Bennett. Corcoran’s claim included $1.6 million in commissions allegedly owed under a "sunset clause" and an additional $2.2 million for managerial services he asserted were unpaid. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for a mere few hours before returning a verdict largely in favor of Chance, awarding him a nominal $35 on claims of breach of contract and tortious interference.
Precious S. Jacobs, an attorney from the Jenner & Block law firm representing Chance the Rapper, released a statement detailing the significance of the recent court decision. Jacobs expressed satisfaction with the judge’s "thorough and thoughtful opinion," emphasizing that it validated Chance’s long-held assertions. "The court’s ruling confirms what Chance has maintained from day one: that Patrick Corcoran owed him fiduciary duties while he was serving as Chance’s manager and that he violated those duties in multiple ways over an extended period," Jacobs stated.
The legal team highlighted the comprehensive nature of Chance’s legal victories. "With the Court’s ruling on top of the jury’s verdict in March, Chance has prevailed on every claim he brought – breach of contract, tortious interference, and breach of fiduciary duty – and defeated Corcoran’s claims in full. No amount of attempted spin can change those facts," the statement continued. The attorneys further underscored the precedent set by the ruling, noting, "the Court’s current ruling is significant for many reasons, including because it is the first decision to confirm that a manager who represents an artist is a fiduciary and owes the artist fiduciary duties."
The statement concluded with a powerful message of support for Chance’s principled stance. "We could not be prouder of Chance for refusing to look the other way and for standing up not just for himself as an independent artist, but for every artist who puts their career in a manager’s hands and deserves honesty, loyalty, and trust in return," the attorneys added.
A status hearing has been scheduled for November 30, 2026, to finalize the financial figures of the judgment. In addition to the monetary award, the judge has mandated that Corcoran relinquish the ChanceRaps.com domain name to Bennett. It is also possible that further interest may be applied to the final judgment amount. This comprehensive legal resolution underscores the importance of transparency and ethical conduct in artist-manager relationships within the music industry.
