Grecia v. Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC
- Rearden
- 1:25-cv-01484
- U.S. District Court · Southern District of New York
- 4
In William Grecia v. Edward Robles, Judge Rearden dismissed Grecia’s claims against Robles and Roc Nation without prejudice because Grecia failed to serve them.
William Grecia’s claims against Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC were dismissed without prejudice; the case remains open for possible collateral matters, including sanctions requests.
What happened
William Grecia v. Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC began as a case in which Grecia, representing himself, asserted breach-of-contract and tortious-interference claims against several defendants. He voluntarily dismissed three defendants before the ruling described here.
The court twice warned Grecia to show that he had served Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC within the required 90-day period or explain why he had not done so. Grecia did not provide proof of service, identify attempts to serve them, or give a sufficient explanation for the delay.
Judge Jennifer H. Rearden dismissed the claims against Robles and Roc Nation LLC without prejudice under the federal service rule. The clerk was directed not to close the case because the court may still address requests for sanctions and other related issues.
The detailed version
- Grecia v. Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC · No. 1:25-cv-01484
- Rearden
- Nov. 7, 2025
Background
William Grecia, acting without a lawyer, filed this action on February 21, 2025. He asserted claims for breach of contract and tortious interference against Brass Lion Entertainment, Inc., Justin Smith, Bryna Smith, Edward Robles, and Roc Nation LLC. Grecia voluntarily dismissed Brass Lion Entertainment and Justin Smith on April 5, 2025, and Bryna Smith on June 18, 2025.
Service of Process
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(c) places responsibility for serving the summons and complaint on the plaintiff. Rule 4(m) generally requires service within 90 days after the complaint is filed. If a defendant has not been served by that deadline, the court must either dismiss the action against that defendant without prejudice or set a new deadline for service.
The deadline to serve Robles and Roc Nation was May 22, 2025. On June 26, 2025, Magistrate Judge Gary Stein ordered Grecia to show cause—that is, explain why the claims should not be dismissed—or provide proof that service had occurred. Grecia instead requested an additional 45 days to serve the defendants.
On September 2, 2025, Judge Stein issued a second show-cause order. Grecia responded that he intended to file separate lawsuits after a Department of Justice investigation and enforcement actions, and that the case should be viewed through other legal protections and possible proceedings. His response did not describe any attempt to serve Robles or Roc Nation, provide proof of service, request another extension, or show that circumstances beyond his control prevented timely service. More than 60 days later, he still had not filed proof of service.
Ruling
Judge Jennifer H. Rearden concluded that Grecia had not served Robles or Roc Nation within the time required by Rule 4(m) and had not provided good cause for the failure. The Court therefore dismissed the claims against Edward Robles and Roc Nation LLC without prejudice under Rule 4(m).
The court directed the clerk to terminate several listed docket entries but specifically directed the clerk not to close the case. The opinion explains that the court retains authority over collateral matters, including the pending requests for sanctions, even after the claims against the defendants have been dismissed.
Read the full 4-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.