Daryl Hall (left) and John Oates in 2003. Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage via Getty Images.
Daryl Hall sued his longtime bandmate John Oates earlier this month over Oates’ plans to sell their share of a joint merchandising venture to an investment management firm, claiming that doing so would be a violation of their Hall & Oates business agreement. On November 16, as the Associated Press reports, Nashville Chancery Judge Russell Perkins temporarily blocked the sale of their stake in Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC, pending an arbitrator’s ruling in a separately filed case. Hall’s lawsuit was originally brought forth under seal, but on Wednesday, November 22, Perkins ruled to make some of the filings public.
The newly revealed documents show that Hall opened an arbitration process on November 9 against Oates — as well as his wife and a co-trustee of his trust — seeking an order to prevent them from selling their share of Whole Oats. Hall’s lawsuit contends that Oates and his co-defendants attempted to move forward with the sale in spite of the unresolved arbitration by entering into a letter of intent with Primary Wave. Hall additionally claims that Oates violated a confidentiality provision in Hall & Oates’ business agreement in the same letter of intent.
The FADER has reached out to attorneys for both parties for further comment on the lawsuit. The matter will be taken up in a court hearing on Thursday, November 30.