Klutch Sports Group, a high-profile sports agency that represents LeBron James, is suing Klutch Cannabis, an Akron cannabis cultivator and retailer, for trademark infringement, unfair competition, counterfeiting and other claims.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court on Tuesday by Klutch Sports against Klutch Cannabis, says the Akron company’s name and branding materials are an “obvious and willful” attempt to profit from the “hard-won goodwill” of the agency’s figureheads, who have deep ties to the area.
The sports agency opened eight years before the cannabis company.
Klutch Cannabis’ name and logo on their stores and merchandise and on their online branding efforts, the complaint says, has caused people to incorrectly believe the companies are related. The complaint included photographs of a Klutch Cannabis storefront and merchandise with similar fonts, color scheme and design concepts as Klutch Sports.
Pete Nischt, the vice president for compliance and communication for Klutch Cannabis, told Signal Akron on Tuesday morning that the company had not yet been served with the lawsuit and that he couldn’t comment on the litigation.
Klutch Sports Group is a California-based talent agency that Cleveland native Rich Paul began in 2012, a decade after he met James when he was a burgeoning superstar at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.
Paul was living in Cleveland’s Glenville neighborhood and quickly joined James’ inner circle before his own business career took off. LeBron was one of Klutch Sports’ first clients — the agency now represents many other NBA, NFL and WNBA players in contract negotiations and marketing deals.
Klutch Cannabis started in Akron in 2020. It has a cultivation facility in the Merriman Valley and recently received approval from Akron City Council for a flagship store on West Market Street, in the former flower shop near Ken Stewart’s Grille.
The company operates dispensaries in Cleveland, Canton, Lorain, Wellington and Loudonville.
Complaint follows cease-and-desist letters
Successful trademark claims require proving that plaintiffs have a valid trademark, that it’s used in commerce and that the defendant’s use of it would likely cause confusion about their connection.
The lawsuit highlights Paul’s 2025 visit to the Cleveland Klutch Cannabis store. The complaint claims someone in the store recognized Paul and told him he was going to buy a Klutch Cannabis sweatshirt because he was under the impression that it was affiliated with Paul.
It also highlighted social media posts of people wondering if there’s a connection between the companies and says people have contacted the agency’s executives believing they ran the cannabis operation. A six-year-old Reddit post in the r/OhioMarijuana forum, not mentioned in the lawsuit, asks “Is Klutch Cannabis Lebron’s Cannabis Company???”
The first legal battle began in August 2025 when Klutch Sports sent Klutch Cannabis a cease-and-desist letter, demanding that the company rebrand itself, the complaint says. The company didn’t comply after multiple other letters.
The lawsuit seeks financial compensation and to bar Klutch Cannabis from continuing to use the Klutch name.