Another legal dispute has surfaced following the death of O.J. Simpson, this time involving a former attorney who says he was never fully paid for years of work.
According to the American Bar Association, California lawyer Ronald Slates has filed a lawsuit against Simpson’s estate, claiming he is owed more than $1 million in unpaid legal fees.
The suit was filed against Malcolm LaVergne, a Las Vegas-based attorney who serves as the executor of Simpson’s estate, and outlines what Slates describes as extensive legal representation across multiple matters prior to Simpson’s death in 2024.
According to court filings, Slates alleges he continued representing Simpson until shortly before the former NFL star died at age 76. The complaint states that, although services were rendered, most of the associated fees were not paid.
Slates submitted a creditor’s claim to the estate in October, which was later rejected. LaVergne reportedly estimated the total value of Simpson’s estate to be between $400,000 and $500,000 at the time of that denial.
The lawsuit comes amid ongoing probate proceedings that have already drawn national attention due to the estate’s agreement to pay nearly $58 million to Fred Goldman, Ron Goldman's father. Ron and Nicole Brown Simpson were killed in 1994, and although Simpson was acquitted in the criminal case, a civil jury later found him liable for wrongful death in 1997.
The civil judgment originally totaled $33.5 million but increased substantially due to interest over the decades. O.J. paid only a small portion of the amount before his death. In July 2024, Fred filed a creditor’s claim seeking more than $117 million, citing accumulated interest. Subsequent probate filings showed that the estate agreed to pay $57,997,858.12, plus additional interest.
In court documents, LaVergne said the revised amount reflected a more accurate calculation, noting that the earlier figure “did not appear to be as accurate as possible based on simple judgment interest calculations.” He added that he would continue working with Goldman to finalize the numbers.
Slates’ lawsuit now places his claim in direct tension with the estate’s limited assets and existing obligations. While the estate has acknowledged the Goldman payment, Slates argues that his legal fees remain unresolved and that the dismissal was improper.
A probate court hearing is scheduled for later this month, where the competing claims against O.J.’s estate are expected to be addressed.