Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris has filed an arbitration demand accusing his former financial advisor, Thomas St. John, of stealing $22.5 million intended for real estate investments.
The legal action, filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that St. John directed the funds instead toward a Hollywood “boondoggle” development project.
The timing of Harris’s legal action is particularly striking. It arrives just a few months after US-based company, Thomas St. John, Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (at the end of February), according to court documents obtained by MBW.
(Thomas St. John Inc, a US entity, is a separate company to UK-based Thomas St. John Ltd.)
A Debtor’s Disclosure filed with the court on April 29, and which you can read in full here, cites approximately $11 million in debts to various creditors, including Grammy-winning songwriter-producer Philip M. Lawrence II, who filed a proof of claim for $696,342.96 [though Thomas St. John, Inc. disputes this claim and plans to file an objection].
Lawrence joins a lengthy list of entities seeking payment from the troubled firm.
The bankruptcy filings submitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California reveal the depth of the company’s financial troubles, with Thomas St. John, Inc. owing $4.1 million to the IRS, $2.5 million to California’s Franchise Tax Board, and total general unsecured claims of approximately $11.3 million.
Other significant debts include $210,800 to Klar Consulting LLC and $340,454.70 to law firm Jackson Lewis P.C.
The bankruptcy documents indicate the company was pushed into Chapter 11 protection by three pending disputes, including employment termination claims and breach of contract lawsuits.
The Los Angeles-based business management firm, which provides accounting and financial services to high-net-worth individuals and businesses, filed a reorganization plan proposing to continue operations while paying creditors over time.
Priority tax claims would be paid over five years, with general unsecured creditors receiving pro rata distributions from remaining funds.
Despite the massive debts, financial projections published within the court documents show the company anticipating annual revenues of $3.3-4.5 million from retainer services and project work. The firm reported a profit of $132,278 in March 2025.
Adding to the turmoil, Michael Jay Berger, the company’s bankruptcy counsel, owed $75,000 in fees, filed a motion in August to withdraw from representing the firm. A hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2025.
Calvin Harris is not listed as a creditor in the bankruptcy proceedings.
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