Was Steven ever a member of the GNR legal partnership?

I’ve seen a legal document from May 1989 wherein Axl, Slash, Duff and Izzy are acting as the legal representatives of GN’R in the corporate context. Steven is not listed, nor is he a signatory person on this document. This is almost a year before the March 23rd 1990 agreement with Steven re his drug use (which seemed to have the effect of demoting him to a hired member also?), and over a year before his official separation from Guns on July 11th 1990.

Was he as such ever a member of the GNR legal partnership?

That's an interesting document, thanks.

Based on the testimonies (the parts that have become public) and the statements by the lawyers during the trial for Steven's lawsuit, it seems that he was a partner, because his probation period was about that: his partner status was suspended for the one-month probation period (March 28-April 28, 1990) and he would be expelled from the partnership if he didn't meet the stipulations of the probation contract.

The explanation for this document could be just that they didn't include Steven in exchanges about business stuff (although he was a partner and shareholder) because they didn't think he understood or wanted to deal with that kind of stuff.

Blackstar wrote:That's an interesting document, thanks.

Based on the testimonies (the parts that have become public) and the statements by the lawyers during the trial for Steven's lawsuit, it seems that he was a partner, because his probation period was about that: his partner status was suspended for the one-month probation period (March 28-April 28, 1990) and he would be expelled from the partnership if he didn't meet the stipulations of the probation contract.

The explanation for this document could be just that they didn't include Steven in exchanges about business stuff (although he was a partner and shareholder) because they didn't think he understood or wanted to deal with that kind of stuff.

Hmm. Okay. Thank you, that makes sense

One thing Axl never seemed to learn is that the “demoting a partner” approach didn’t work. Steven was demoted to hired hand, didn’t stop him from using drugs; Izzy was about to be demoted to hired hand and instead of motivating him to work harder, it made him quit instead; Slash was demoted to hired hand status effective 12/31/95 and quit afterwards. These punitive actions taken by Axl in the hopes of effecting a positive change usually actually had the opposite effect.

Also, it’s weird how it took the band almost a year after Izzy quit to formulate a new partnership agreement. IIRC currently the present day partnership agreement of Axl, Slash, Duff as sole legal members wasn’t signed until October 1992

Putting Steven on probation was a band and management decision, not Axl's.

In Izzy's case both Axl and Slash were behind the threat to demote him. Here are the related chapters in the history section:

https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#19671
https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#19785
https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#23212
https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#27163
https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#27210
https://www.a-4-d.com/t4995p30-13-july-november-1991-use-your-illusions-are-out-so-is-izzy#27219

It took a year for the new partnership agreement to be drawn up because there were still negotiations with Izzy on the terms and conditions of his quitting the partnership. Slash mentions a meeting he had with Izzy in July 1992 to sort out business stuff. For the same reason, the renegotiated recording agreement with Geffen was also signed in 1992, although it was about the Illusions and future releases (the partnership agreement and the recording agreement went together).

In regards to Slash, it's not clear if he and Duff would have been employees or partners (although with lesser rights than before) in Axl's new entity. Regardless, after Axl's resignation letter there were negotiations that led to a "trial period" during which Axl's new partnership wasn't effective yet, and Slash quit during that period, so he never joined the new entity. It's unclear if that was the case with Duff as well - I reckon it was.