- A law firm is suing former Colorado football player Shilo Sanders for over $164,000 in unpaid legal bills.
- The unpaid fees are for services related to a personal injury lawsuit and his subsequent bankruptcy filing.
- This new lawsuit is separate from his pending bankruptcy case, where he also faces a claim of violating bankruptcy law.
Former Colorado football standout Shilo Sanders is facing more legal trouble, this time from a law firm that says he owes the firm more than $164,000 in unpaid bills and interest.
The firm Barnes & Thornburg LLP filed a lawsuit Nov. 17 against Sanders, son of Colorado coach Deion Sanders. It seeks a judgment for what Shilo Sanders allegedly owes for services the firm provided to him related to his other legal issues — a personal injury lawsuit he faced in Dallas that eventually led him to file for bankruptcy in October 2023.
The firm “delivered the legal services and incurred the costs reflected in the Invoices between May 1, 2024 and August 26, 2024 based on the Agreement,” an employee for the firm said in a written declaration filed in federal court in Dallas. “Mr. Sanders, however, failed to pay the amounts reflected the Invoices presented to him, and has not tendered payment in response to Plaintiff’s efforts to obtain payment on the outstanding Invoices. The total of the Invoices that Mr. Sanders currently owes Plaintiff is $164,285.55, including $10,967.91 in interest for the services provided and costs incurred.”
How does this relate to Shilo Sanders’ bankruptcy case?
The new lawsuit is not part of Shilo Sanders’ pending bankruptcy case, but it was filed by a firm that provided legal services to him “in connection with his personal injury matter and his bankruptcy proceedings,’ according to the complaint obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
The complaint against Sanders says in August 2024 Sanders was informed the attorney responsible for his matters was moving to a new law firm and Sanders would remain responsible for any outstanding account balance with respect to those matters. Sanders then terminated Barnes & Thornburg’s representation and moved it to the new firm of that attorney, according to the complaint.
Dallas attorney Victor Vital represents Sanders and announced a move from Barnes & Thornburg to a new firm, Haynes Boone, in August 2024.
Vital didn’t return a message seeking comment.
How did Shilo Sanders end up in bankruptcy?
Shilo Sanders, 25, filed for bankruptcy in an effort to discharge more than $11 million debt — almost all of which is owed to one man, John Darjean, a former security guard at his school in Dallas. Darjean filed a personal injury lawsuit against Sanders in 2016, accusing Sanders of causing him permanent and severe injuries when he tried to confiscate his phone at school in 2015, when Shilo was 15.
Shilo Sanders claimed in pretrial proceedings that he acted in self-defense. But when the case went to trial in 2022, Shilo didn’t show up for it, leading to a default judgment against him of more than $11 million. When Darjean moved to collect on that judgment, Shilo filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in hopes of getting it discharged. But Darjean is fighting his attempt to discharge it. Last month, the trustee in the bankruptcy case also filed suit against Shilo, claiming Sanders violated bankruptcy law by making unauthorized transfers of approximately $250,000.
Sanders is the middle son of Deion Sanders and has pursued other interests since he was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this year as an undrafted free agent. Last year, he helped lead Colorado to a 9-4 season. His younger brother Shedeur is set to make his first NFL start on Sunday as quarterback of the Cleveland Browns.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
