A judgment in favor of United Talent Agency Inc. was signed by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Workman on Sept. 13. Lawyers for the talent agency maintained that Snipes owed them commissions for various films.

In an Oct. 3 declaration, Snipes stated that he was unaware of the legal action until shortly after the judgment was signed. A hearing in which a judge would consider vacating the order was scheduled for tomorrow.

But last week attorneys for UTA agreed not to oppose Snipes' motion, and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White signed an order, nullifying the default judgment and allowing the case to move toward trial.

On Thursday, Snipes' lawyers filed papers denying the allegations in the lawsuit. UTA filed suit against Snipes in July 2006, alleging breach of oral contract. He did not respond to the suit even though a summons was published in two newspapers, according to UTA court papers.

According to the UTA lawsuit, Snipes and the company entered into a verbal agreement in November 2002 in which the agency was to be paid 10 percent of any money the actor received for movie roles that UTA obtained for him.

The plaintiffs said Snipes received $13 million for his role in "Blade III," according to the lawsuit. Four former talent agents with the company were principally responsible for him getting the role, the suit alleges.

The firm also helped Snipes land parts in the movies "Chaos," "Middle Man" and "The Shooter," but the actor did not pay the commissions he owes for those performances either, the agency maintained.

Snipes, 45, parted company with the talent agency in February 2006, the lawsuit stated.

The next pretrial hearing is scheduled Dec. 10.

Snipes, 45, also is facing trial early next year in Ocala, Fla., on tax charges for allegedly fraudulently claiming refunds of $12 million.

Snipes, who faces up to 16 years in prison, has denied the allegations and said he is being made a scapegoat. He has asked for a change of venue from Florida to New York, because he says central Florida is too racist.