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A simmering legal battle over millions in disputed assets has now splintered into another courtroom clash — this time over unpaid legal fees.

In a breach of contract complaint filed Monday in North Carolina Superior Court, Shipman & Wright LLP alleged that college sports data company Winthrop Intelligence LLC failed to pay nearly $116,000 for three months of legal services tied to the company’s high-stakes dispute with the widow of its co-founder.

The lawsuit, framed around what the firm describes as a refusal to pay while demanding continued representation, centers on what it calls the Shipman & Wright $116K Bill defected from payment.

Law Firm Says It Worked — But Wasn’t Paid

According to the complaint, Shipman & Wright provided what it characterized as extensive legal representation from April through July 2025, defending Winthrop in a contentious asset fight unfolding in North Carolina Business Court.

The firm claims it submitted invoices totaling $115,952.70. Despite repeated payment requests, Winthrop allegedly neither disputed the charges nor sought fee arbitration through the North Carolina State Bar’s Fee Dispute Resolution Program. Instead, the company allegedly refused to pay while instructing the firm to continue its vigorous defense.

Caught between unpaid invoices and ongoing litigation demands, Shipman & Wright moved to withdraw from the case. A court granted that request in early July 2025.

Now, the firm seeks $115,952.70 plus interest in its breach of contract suit. It is representing itself in the matter.

Underlying Dispute: Allegations, Assets and a Tragedy

The unpaid fees trace back to a broader and deeply personal conflict.

The original case erupted in early 2025 when Kelly Moore, widow of Winthrop co-founder Drue Moore, accused the company’s chief investment and financial officer, Robert Scott Brooks, along with Drue Moore’s former personal attorney, D. Scott Robinson, of pressuring her husband to surrender millions in assets over allegations of embezzlement.

Kelly Moore alleged that the campaign of threats contributed to her husband’s suicide in January 2025.

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Competing Claims Over Millions

In amended cross- and counterclaims filed last fall, Winthrop painted a sharply different picture. The company alleged Drue Moore transferred just under $8 million from corporate accounts through a network of trusts and holding companies for the benefit of himself and his family.

According to Winthrop, the money was used to purchase luxury watches, cars, thousands of bottles of wine and vacations. The company contends Moore admitted to the misappropriations multiple times, began repaying the funds and promised to assign company interests in various assets before his death.

For much of last year, Kelly Moore battled Brooks, Winthrop and Robinson over the ownership and control of multiple LLCs and trusts connected to her late husband.

In November, the court dismissed Robinson from the case after he argued he lacked sufficient contacts with North Carolina. Brooks sought a similar dismissal, but the judge ruled that his actions on behalf of Winthrop and toward Drue Moore sufficiently tied him to the state. According to a Feb. 12 notice, Brooks has appealed that decision to the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Winthrop has also attempted to push Kelly Moore into arbitration. The Business Court rejected that effort, though court records show the company is again seeking to compel arbitration under its cross- and counterclaims.

No Immediate Comment

Neither Shipman & Wright nor Winthrop responded immediately Thursday to requests for comment.

Counsel information for Winthrop was not immediately available.

As the underlying asset battle continues to wind through appeals and arbitration motions, the Shipman & Wright $116K Bill defected dispute adds another layer — proof that in complex corporate wars, even the lawyers can become litigants.