NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) – Record executives at Sony-BMG Music Entertainment allegedly tricked some of gospel music’s biggest stars into firing their agent in an effort to keep company costs down and retain control over one of the industry’s fastest growing markets, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court Friday.

Connecticut attorney and music agent James L. Walker, whose stable includes International Gospel Hall of Fame member Bobby Jones and Grammy award nominee Twinkie Clark, sued Sony-BMG Friday seeking damages that lawyers said could be in the millions.

“BMG’s intimidation tactics were part of its campaign to exploit artists, writers, producers and arrangers and pressure them to accept mediocre or minimal compensation for their artistic contributions,” Walker’s lawsuit reads.

Walker claims that Sony-BMG executives didn’t want to negotiate with him because he was forcing the label to pay his artists more money. Max Siegel, vice president of Sony BMG’s gospel subsidiary, Verity Records, intimidated the artists into hiring him as their representative instead, Walker said.

“When someone tells you, You’re not going to be able to do any music anymore,’ it leaves a bad taste in your mouth,” said David Frazier, a gospel songwriter who has written music for a number of hit records. “I changed legal counsel just so I could continue to make music.”

JoJo Pada, a spokeswoman for Verity Records, said neither Verity nor Sony-BMG had seen the lawsuit and would not comment on pending cases.

A number of artists dropped Walker, including Donald Lawrence, whose album “I Speak Life” was recently on the Billboard Top 10 list, and two-time Grammy winner Hezekiah Walker.

All were intimidated and duped into doing so, said Ross Garber, James Walker’s attorney.

“There’s no other reason,” Garber said. “The guy negotiates the highest rates in the industry. He made these guys a boatload of money.”

Garber said negotiations between Walker and Sony-BMG failed.