This Week in Chancery Court: Biggie Smalls Legacy, Circana Trial

A record executive overseeing the Notorious B.I.G.'s late mother’s estate is asking Delaware Chancery Court to enforce the status quo after he accused R&B singer Faith Evans, the rapper’s widow, of trying to seize control of his musical legacy.

Here’s a look at more from the court’s calendar:

Monday: Barrow v. Evans, Del. Ch., No. 2025-0760, telephonic hearing 8/4/25.

At issue: Wayne Barrow sued Evans on behalf of the Voletta Wallace’s estate after she died this year. He told Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick that Evans is running Notorious B.I.G. LLC unilaterally—ignoring a 50-50 ownership split—while directing proceeds to the late Christopher Wallace’s children “and presumably to herself.” The rapper, also known as Biggie Smalls, rocketed to fame in the mid-1990s before his unsolved death in a 1997 drive-by shooting. Evans moved to dismiss the lawsuit. Barrow wants the court to hold the line pending litigation.

Court action: A telephonic hearing on Barrow’s motion to expedite and for a status quo order will be held.

Notorious B.I.G. Widow Faith Evans Sued for Catalog Takeover

Monday: Orlando v. Digital World Acquisition Corp., Del. Ch., No. 2024-0264, telephonic hearing 8/4/25.

At issue: The ex-CEO of the blank-check company that combined with Donald Trump’s social media platform to bring it public is asking for legal fees to be covered by his old corporation. Patrick Orlando‘s been entangled in multiple court fights over Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., the special purpose acquisition company it combined with, and ARC Investment Global II LLC, the jointly-held entity formed to finance the transaction. His complaint seeking advancement against his SPAC noted parallel investigations into Digital World Acquisition Corp. and Orlando started by Joe Biden‘s Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice. He also faces litigation in Delaware over his alleged scheme to funnel millions of shares to offshore dummy entities.

Court action: A telephonic hearing will be held before Magistrate Christian Wright.

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Tuesday: Neptune Bidco US Inc. and The Nielsen Co. (US), LLC v. Circana, LLC, Del. Ch., No. 2025-0656, trial starts 8/5/25.

At issue: Vice Chancellor Nathan A. Cook had fast-tracked some claims in a multi-pronged bid by Nielsen Holdings Ltd. affiliates to close the sale of a segment to Circana LLC, which is allegedly trying to pull back over meddling by a former Nielsen affiliate. The media analytics giant is suing both Circana and Nielsen IQ, a consumer intelligence company—and direct competitor of Circana—that spun off in 2021. There was a one-day trial in another of the cases July 22. The court hasn’t ruled yet.

Court action: A three-day trial kicks off in Wilmington, Del.

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Thursday: In re Endeavor Grp. Holdings, Inc. S’holders’ Litig., Del. Ch., No. 2025-0663, hearing 8/7/25.

At issue: Carl Icahn’s investment firm and a Swedish bank are fighting to lead a proposed class action alleging former Endeavor Group Holdings Inc. shareholders were jilted by insiders in Silver Lake’s $13 billion buyout. Icahn Enterprises and Handelsbanken Fonder AB told Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will they should lead the litigation against Silver Lake and Endeavor executives, including Hollywood mogul Ari Emanuel, because combined their clients had more than $750 million in Endeavor shares. They are vying with an individual investor who had a stake of approximately $750 in Endeavor to be named lead plaintiff. The suit is part of a larger legal fray over the deal, which includes a price challenge in what’s likely the largest ever buyout arbitrage case.

Court action: A hearing on the motions for lead plaintiff and counsel will be held in Wilmington, Del.

Silver Lake, Ari Emanuel Hit With New Endeavor Buyout Challenge