Days after Daryl Hall obtained a temporary restraining order against John Oates, new revelations have emerged on the legal feud between the Hall & Oates bandmates.
Hall, 77, filed a lawsuit against Oates, 75, to prevent him from selling his share in a joint venture to a third party, citing a breach of their prior business agreement, according to the complaint obtained by People.
In October 2021, the "Rich Girl" singers struck a deal concerning Whole Oats Enterprises LLP (WOE), a limited liability partnership owned by the musicians, according to the complaint.
However, on Nov. 9, Hall initiated an arbitration process against Oates to halt his bandmate from transferring 100% of his share in Whole Oats to a third-party buyer named Primary Wave Music without Hall's consent.
Hall deems this move as "unauthorized and void," asserting it violates their contract. He claims Oates had engaged in a letter of intent with Primary Wave, set to close by Nov. 20, posing an "imminent irreparable harm" to him.
As of Nov. 16, when Hall filed the court complaint, an arbitrator had not been selected. This situation left Hall unable to pursue his pending plea in the arbitration for temporary injunctive relief in the manner he sought.
In legal documents, he claimed that he pursued the restraining order against Oates "so as to maintain the status quo of WOE before there is a change in control of the partnership in violation of the terms of the Agreement."
This was to uphold the status quo of WOE according to the agreement, preventing a change in partnership control. Primary Wave has held a substantial stake in the musicians' song catalog for over 15 years, People noted.
Commenting on the ordeal, Hall's attorneys said much of the matter should remain under seal because it is a "private dispute … This is not a matter of legitimate public interest, although the parties are well known."
His legal team noted that the disagreement revolves around interpreting the confidential terms of the 2021 agreement.
According to the complaint, the case will be resolved through a confidential arbitration process. A hearing scheduled for Thursday aims to discuss the extension of the restraining order. There has been no immediate response from lawyers representing Hall and Oates to People's request for comment.
Hall filed against Oates, Aimee Oates, and Richard Flynn, co-trustees of the John W. Oates TISA Trust. All defendants received summonses by Nov. 20, and two days later, Hall filed a pro hac vice motion, seeking an out-of-state attorney to join the case.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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