An attorney for former Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars has sharply criticized a recent arbitration ruling that sided entirely with the band, declaring that Mars was lawfully removed as both a band member and officer in the group's business affairs after he stepped away from touring due to health issues.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Mars' lawyer Ed McPherson did not mince words about the outcome. "The decision is awful. It's not fair. This band has never been fair to Mick," McPherson said.
"When Mick said 'I can't tour anymore because of a hideous disease, but I can still write, perform one-offs or residencies and record,' they said, 'Sorry, Mick. It's been 43 years, but you're out. Goodbye, and we don't want to pay you anymore.' This arbitrator said it's fine."
McPherson added that the ruling is still being reviewed for a potential challenge, but suggested Mars may be ready to move on.
Earlier this week, Mötley Crüe declared what it called a "decisive victory," announcing that a final arbitration award had rejected every claim Mars brought against the band and ordered him to pay damages back to the group. According to a statement from the band's attorney, Sasha Frid of Miller Barondess, LLP, the ruling "vindicates the band contractually and financially" while dismantling "the public narrative Mars promoted in interviews with major outlets."
Mars first announced his retirement from touring in October 2022, citing worsening health issues related to his long-documented ankylosing spondylitis. At the time, he stated he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 stepping in as his touring replacement. However, six months later, Mars filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that his bandmates attempted to strip him of his ownership stake and influence within the group's corporate structure.
The arbitrator, Hon. Patrick Walsh (Ret.), ultimately ruled that Mars had forfeited any right to touring revenue when he stopped performing live — a provision that was reportedly added to the band's governing agreement in 2008 at Mars' own insistence. That amendment specifies that any member who ceases touring no longer shares in tour income.
Despite this, Mars later sought to continue receiving 25% of touring revenue in perpetuity while no longer performing, a position the arbitrator rejected outright. The ruling also upheld Mötley Crüe's decision to remove Mars as an officer and director for cause and ordered him to repay more than $750,000 in unrecouped tour advances, resulting in a net judgment in the band's favor after accounting for the value of Mars' shares.
The case also carried wider implications beyond finances. During the dispute, Mars publicly alleged — and repeated under oath — that Nikki Sixx's bass and Tommy Lee's drums were pre-recorded during live shows, challenging the band's credibility as a live act. Under scrutiny, those claims unraveled.
Confronted with extensive live recordings and testimony from his own retained expert — a New York University professor specializing in music technology — Mars admitted under oath that his statements were false and formally recanted the allegations.
Frid framed the ruling as a broader defense of the band's legacy. "This dispute was about protecting the integrity and legacy of one of the most successful bands in rock history," said Frid.
"With the arbitrator rejecting every claim and enforcing the parties' agreements as written, the band has been fully vindicated — legally, financially, and factually."
