Dionne Warwick has filed a lawsuit against Artists Rights Enforcement Corp. (AREC), a rights management firm she has worked with for over two decades.
According to Billboard, Warwick filed a lawsuit accusing the company of “pilfering” millions of dollars in royalty income from her iconic hits. The suit is a countersuit filed by AREC in late 2025. AREC claimed “ that “Warwick breached their contract by attempting to terminate their agreement and bypass their commission.”
The dispute centers on a 2001 one-page agreement that Warwick’s attorneys argue was signed without legal counsel and intended only for a specific dispute with Warner Bros. Records. But AREC maintains the contract, which grants them a 50% cut of her royalties “in perpetuity.” Warwick’s legal team further alleges that the firm sabotaged a lucrative potential deal with Primary Wave by claiming she lacked the rights to sell her own revenue streams.
Robert S. Meloni, Warwick’s attorney, wrote in the court filing how AREC allegedly took advantage of the legendary artists.
“Ms. Warwick seeks to expose AREC’s performative ethics and vindicate her rights and obtain restitution for the damages caused by AREC’s decades-long pilfering of millions of dollars in royalty income she earned as a result of her legendary recordings,” Meloni wrote.
Warwick’s suit alleges that AREC has stolen royalties from several of her classic songs, beyond “Walk On By” and “I Say A Little Prayer,” including “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” “Do You Know The Way To San Jose,” “Alfie,” and more. Warwick’s current lawyer says the singer believed the deal pertained only to her issue with Warner Bros, and not to anyone else. Instead, AREC, according to her lawyer, took a 50 percent share of any and everything Warwick recorded from 1962 to 2001.
As the legal proceedings continue, Warwick has announced plans for what she calls her final studio album, titled “Dwuet,” after more than six decades in the music industry.
Each track will feature Warwick singing with today’s top artists, such as Cynthia Erivo and Kehlani. Diane Warren has penned several new songs for the project.
Warwick’s son and longtime collaborator Damon Elliott is producing the album.
“The experience of watching all of these young legends working with a real living legend was a thrill to watch,” Elliott said. “Mom picked the lock for them, and they paid respect to one of the greatest artists ever.”