The Dapper Development lawsuit is a business dispute involving Dapper Development, L.L.C., a North Carolina real estate company, and one of its former co-owners, Andrew Cordell.
The case, formally known as Dapper Dev., L.L.C. v. Cordell, is being handled by the North Carolina Business Court. It involves disagreements over ownership, management rights, a member buyout, operating agreements, and the value of Cordell’s former interest in the companies.
This case is not a consumer class action and should not be confused with lawsuits involving Dapper Labs, the blockchain company behind NBA Top Shot.
What Is the Dapper Development Lawsuit About?
Dapper Development was formed to build new homes and renovate and resell single-family properties. A related company, Tantalum Holdings, LLC, was involved in acquiring and renting residential properties.
The companies were owned by four members:
- Andrew Cordell
- Brendan Gelson
- Kyle Tudor
- Mason Harris
Each originally held a 25% membership interest.
The dispute developed when the business relationship between Cordell and the other three owners broke down. The other members eventually voted to terminate Cordell’s membership and management interests.
The parties then disagreed over whether the removal was valid and how Cordell’s ownership interest should be bought out.
Why Was Andrew Cordell Removed?
According to the court record, the three other members voted on June 14, 2023, to terminate Cordell’s employment, membership and management roles in the companies.
The plaintiffs argued that the operating agreements allowed the majority owners to take this action and triggered a process requiring Cordell to sell his membership and economic interests.
Cordell disputed the parties’ positions and filed his own lawsuit in 2023.
The dispute eventually moved into the current case, in which Dapper Development and the other plaintiffs brought claims against Cordell.
What Was the Buyout Dispute?
The parties attempted to resolve Cordell’s ownership interest through a buyout.
An initial offer reportedly included approximately $485,000, subject to adjustments, along with a property interest.
The parties later entered a Consent Scheduling Order in December 2023 that established a process for determining the value of Cordell’s interests.
The court later treated that Consent Order as a binding contract.
The buyout process involved property appraisals and exchanges of financial information, but the parties were unable to reach a final resolution.
What Is Dapper Development v. Cordell?
The current lawsuit was filed on April 23, 2024, after Cordell voluntarily dismissed his earlier case.
The plaintiffs include:
- Dapper Development, L.L.C.
- Tantalum Holdings, LLC
- Brendan Gelson
- Kyle Tudor
- Mason Harris
Andrew Cordell is the defendant.
The case number is 24CV018718-590 and it was assigned to the North Carolina Business Court.
What Claims Did Dapper Development Make?
The company’s lawsuit included several claims against Cordell.
Breach of Contract
The plaintiffs alleged that Cordell violated the companies’ operating agreements and failed to comply with the agreed buyout process.
Declaratory Judgment
They asked the court to clarify the parties’ rights and obligations under the operating agreements.
Breach of Good Faith and Fair Dealing
The plaintiffs alleged that Cordell interfered with certain company activities, including banking arrangements and a proposed property sale.
Breach of the Consent Order
The plaintiffs alleged that Cordell failed to follow obligations established in the December 2023 agreement.
Abuse of Process
The plaintiffs also brought an abuse-of-process claim.
These allegations remain part of the litigation and should not be treated as findings that Cordell committed wrongdoing.
What Counterclaims Did Cordell Make?
Cordell responded with numerous counterclaims.
His claims included disputes concerning:
- His employment status
- Membership status
- Manager status
- Operating agreements
- Fiduciary duties
- Wage claims
- Access to company records
- Accounting
- Judicial dissolution of the companies
The court later dismissed several of these counterclaims while allowing some contract-related claims to continue.
What Did the Court Decide in 2024?
In September 2024, the North Carolina Business Court ruled on Cordell’s motion to dismiss.
The court granted the motion in part and denied it in part.
The court allowed several major claims to continue, including claims involving breach of contract, declaratory judgment and breach of the Consent Order.
For the good-faith-and-fair-dealing claim, some allegations were allowed to continue while others were dismissed.
The ruling did not represent a final judgment on the entire lawsuit.
What Happened in the 2025 Court Ruling?
A significant ruling came on July 15, 2025, in Dapper Dev., L.L.C. v. Cordell, 2025 NCBC 33.
The court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for judgment on the pleadings in part and denied it in part.
Among other things, the court rejected several of Cordell’s counterclaims.
The ruling addressed his status as an employee, member and manager and also dismissed certain claims involving:
- Judicial dissolution
- Fiduciary duty
- Inspection of company records
- Negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation
- Wage-and-hour allegations
However, some contract-related counterclaims survived.
This means the 2025 decision narrowed the dispute but did not completely end the case.
What Is the Winston Property Dispute?
The Winston Property became an important part of the buyout calculations.
The parties entered an agreement concerning the property as part of the redemption of Cordell’s interests.
The court addressed an amount of $181,807.51 associated with the property transaction as an offset against the purchase price of Cordell’s membership interests.
This was one of the financial issues addressed by the court during the litigation.
Is There a Dapper Development Lawsuit Settlement?
There is no publicly confirmed final settlement amount for the Dapper Development lawsuit in the court decisions reviewed.
The case involves a buyout and ownership dispute, but that should not be confused with a public class-action settlement.
People searching for a “Dapper Development settlement” should also be careful not to confuse this case with separate litigation involving Dapper Labs.
Dapper Development vs. Dapper Labs
This is one of the most important points.
Dapper Development and Dapper Labs are different companies.
| Dapper Development | Dapper Labs |
| North Carolina real estate business | Blockchain/NFT company |
| Home construction and property activities | NBA Top Shot and digital collectibles |
| Case involves Andrew Cordell | Separate litigation involving NFT purchasers |
| North Carolina Business Court | Separate federal litigation |
| Ownership and buyout dispute | Securities/privacy-related disputes |
Search results sometimes mix these cases together because both companies use the word Dapper.
A settlement involving Dapper Labs should not be presented as a settlement involving Dapper Development.
Is the Dapper Development Lawsuit a Class Action?
No.
The Dapper Development lawsuit is an individual business dispute involving companies and former business partners.
There is no general consumer class in which ordinary people can submit a claim for money.
This is important because some online articles incorrectly connect the case to Dapper Labs’ NFT litigation.
Current Status of the Dapper Development Lawsuit
Based on the latest publicly available information reviewed, the case remains an active business dispute in the North Carolina Business Court.
The 2024 and 2025 rulings resolved several legal issues, but some claims and counterclaims remained.
There is no publicly confirmed final judgment or settlement amount in the court materials reviewed.
The remaining issues can involve contract obligations, valuation and the parties’ respective rights under their agreements.
What Can Business Owners Learn From the Case?
The dispute highlights the importance of having a detailed LLC operating agreement.
Business owners should clearly address:
- How a member can be removed
- Voting requirements
- Manager removal
- Buyout procedures
- How ownership is valued
- Appraisal procedures
- Valuation dates
- Payment deadlines
- Property transfers
- Access to company records
- Dispute-resolution procedures
Clear language can reduce the chance that a disagreement between business partners becomes a lengthy court battle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dapper Development lawsuit?
It is a North Carolina Business Court dispute involving Dapper Development, Tantalum Holdings and Andrew Cordell over ownership, management, contracts and a buyout of Cordell’s former 25% interest.
Is Dapper Development the same as Dapper Labs?
No. They are separate companies involved in different legal disputes.
Is the Dapper Development case a class action?
No. It is a private business dispute, not a consumer class action.
What happened to Andrew Cordell’s ownership?
The court ruled that a triggering event occurred and that Cordell ceased to be a member and manager as of June 14, 2023, while certain related financial and contract issues continued to be litigated.
Is there a Dapper Development settlement?
No publicly confirmed final settlement amount has been identified in the court materials reviewed.
How much was Cordell’s buyout?
An earlier offer was approximately $485,000, subject to adjustments, but that should not be treated as the final value of his ownership interest.
What is the $181,807.51 amount?
It relates to the Winston Property and was treated by the court as an offset against the purchase price of Cordell’s membership interests.
What is the current status?
The litigation remains active based on the latest publicly available information reviewed.
Bottom Line
The Dapper Development lawsuit is a North Carolina business dispute over ownership, member removal, contracts and Cordell’s buyout—not a class action or Dapper Labs NFT case.