Delclaux Partners Sues AST SpaceMobile for More Than $15 Million in Unpaid Contractual Finder's Fees

Complaint alleges AST built its earliest credibility and capital on a Delclaux introduction to LionTree Advisors and Cisneros Group, then used a disputed termination date to avoid paying what it owed

Claim is tied to approximately $1.91 billion in financing AST completed between October 2019 and April 2021, involving Vodafone, American Tower, Rakuten, Samsung Next and New Providence

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delclaux Partners SA (Delclaux) has filed a complaint in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court against AST & Science LLC (AST), the operating company behind publicly traded satellite communications firm AST SpaceMobile, seeking more than $15 million in finder's fees Delclaux alleges remain unpaid under a written agreement tied to roughly $1.91 billion in AST financing transactions. The complaint asserts claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, fraud, tortious interference and conspiracy, plus interest, costs and other relief.

According to the complaint, Delclaux introduced AST - then a company with little more than early-stage patents and no institutional financing - to investment bank LionTree Advisors. AST retained LionTree Advisors and under a separate agreement, Delclaux was entitled to 17.65% of the fees AST paid LionTree. Delclaux's role was limited to the introduction; LionTree carried out the financing and advisory work that followed, including AST's Series A round and an early investment from Cisneros Group, whose vice chair, Adriana Cisneros, became one of AST's most visible and active leaders.

The complaint alleges that financing transactions AST completed years later triggered fee rights under post-termination provisions of the LionTree agreement - and that because Delclaux's compensation was contractually tied to LionTree's fees, those transactions triggered payment obligations to Delclaux.

Central to the dispute is timing. The complaint alleges AST terminated its agreement with LionTree but did not notify Delclaux for nearly nine months, and that AST calculated the termination date using calendar days rather than the business days specified in the contract - a method Delclaux contends improperly shortened its tail-period rights. The complaint notes AST announced the Rakuten and Samsung Next financings on March 3, 2020, two days after the date AST allegedly believed one applicable tail period had lapsed, and that AST terminated its own agreement with Delclaux shortly after Delclaux invoiced AST over the Vodafone and American Tower transactions. Delclaux puts its total claimed fees at approximately $15.18 million.

The filing follows years of related litigation. AST initiated federal litigation involving Delclaux in 2020, and a federal district court entered judgment against Delclaux's counterclaim. In June 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit held that the federal court lacked subject-matter jurisdiction over the counterclaim and vacated the judgment. After the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review that jurisdictional decision in November 2025, Delclaux filed the present action in Florida state court - the forum it contends has always had jurisdiction to hear its claims.

Delclaux is seeking approximately $15.18 million in damages, interest, costs and attorneys' fees, and has requested a jury trial.

"We performed the role AST retained us to perform, and our agreement established how we would be compensated," said Pedro Delclaux, Partner at Delclaux Partners. "This dispute has continued for years, but it does not need to continue. We remain prepared to resolve it fairly and promptly. At the same time, we are prepared to pursue the claims and supporting evidence through trial if necessary."

"This is a document-driven commercial dispute," said Harold E. Patricoff, Jr., legal counsel for Delclaux and a shareholder at Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC. "The complaint identifies the agreements, the relevant post-termination provisions, the financing transactions Delclaux alleges triggered payment, and the calculation underlying the approximately $15.18 million claim. Delclaux is asking for the opportunity to have those claims decided on their merits in the proper forum."

Delclaux has sought payment for several years and remains willing to engage in good-faith discussions to resolve the dispute fairly and promptly. Absent a resolution, Delclaux intends to pursue its claims through the state-court process.

About Delclaux Partners: Delclaux Partners is a global consulting firm with hubs in Madrid and Miami, offering strategic, operational, and financial advisory across sectors like energy, telecommunications, and e-commerce. The firm delivers tailored solutions to help clients navigate challenges and achieve sustainable growth. For more details, visit www.delclauxpartners.com.

About Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC: Lawson Huck Gonzalez, PLLC is a premier Florida litigation, appellate, and regulatory law firm. Founded by retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson alongside prominent attorneys Paul Huck, Jason Gonzalez, and Amber Nunnally, the firm maintains offices in Tallahassee, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando. The firm handles complex commercial litigation, administrative hearings, government investigations, and appeals before state and federal courts. For more details, please visit https://lawsonhuckgonzalez.com.