Daryl Hall filed a lawsuit against his longtime Hall & Oates collaborator John Oates on November 17. Over the last couple of weeks, details of the suit surfaced. Hall filed the suit to ensure that Oates couldn’t sell his half of their joint venture, Whole Oates Enterprises to Primary Wave. Today (November 30) a judge ruled on the suit.
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Chancellor Russell Perkins, the Nashville judge handling the lawsuit ruled that Oates cannot sell his share of the joint venture, according to Billboard. However, this isn’t a permanent ruling. It only bars Oates from selling until a private arbitrator can hear the case or until February, whichever comes first.
Hall claims that he would face “irreparable harm” if Oates sold his portion of their venture. Moreover, he states that it violates the terms of their partnership. As a result, Chancellor Perkins ruled to uphold the restraining order to halt the sale.
Hall & Oates Weigh in on the Lawsuit
Hall claims that Oates “blindsided” him with his plan to sell his share of Whole Oates Enterprises to Primary Wave. Furthermore, he accused his musical collaborator of proceeding with the negotiation with Primary Wave behind his back.
[RELATED: New Details Emerge in Hall & Oates Legal Battle]
Hall’s largest concern is his objection to the Primary Wave business model. He wants to stop Oates from selling to the corporation to keep the band’s reputation and image whole. “I have no intention of becoming partners with Primary Wave,” he said in a court declaration earlier today. “There was never a hint that [Oates] would try to ambush me with a sale,” he added.
[RELATED: Hall & Oates Open Up About Their Split and Ongoing Legal Battle]
Oates, on the other hand, called Hall’s statements “outlandish.” He added, “I have no idea who or what is motivating Daryl to take these steps and make such salacious statements.” Then, he said that one of the few things they agree on is presenting the band in the “most positive light.”
“I can only say that Daryl’s accusations that I breached our agreement, went ‘behind his back,’ ‘acted in bad faith’ and the like, are not true,” Oates said.
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