Leonard Cohen sues ex-manager

Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen’s four-year sojourn at a Zen monastery near Los Angeles in the late 1990s resulted in more than spiritual renewal for the celebrated musician. It also provided his business manager with the opportunity to raid his bank accounts to the tune of $5 million, according to a lawsuit Cohen filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

“After nearly 30 years in the music industry, Cohen could afford to take a few years off to lead a quiet spiritual life away from the mainstream,” states the lawsuit naming his former business manager, Kelley Lynch, and tax attorney Richard Westin as defendants. “Given his modest lifestyle, Cohen reasonably expected royalties from his song copyrights and his records should have been sufficient to support him during his retirement years.”

Cohen also accuses Lynch and Westin of orchestrating an unnecessary sale of his music publishing company and artist royalties and of mismanaging his accounts. The suit seeks damages for breaches of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, common law fraud and other charges. Reached by e-mail Tuesday, Lynch responded, “It is my firm opinion that these claims are unsubstantiated.”

Cohen, 70, is one of the most acclaimed songwriters of the modern pop era. His best-known songs include “Suzanne,” “Bird on the Wire” and “Sisters of Mercy.”