Hall & Oates Singers Face Off in Court Over Joint Business: Everything to Know
Daryl Hall and John Oates are at odds -- get all the details.
Judge Extends Restraining Order Blocking Oates' Sale
A judge sided with Daryl Hall in a court hearing Nov. 30, extending an existing restraining order which temporarily blocks fellow Hall & Oates band member John Oates from selling his share of the duo's joint venture to Primary Wave, a private music publishing and talent management company.
The decision followed a hearing Thursday morning at Davidson County Chancery Court in Nashville, Tennessee, during which lawyers for Hall and Oates clashed over whether Hall was entitled to the extended restraining order blocking Oates' deal.
Hall's counsel argued that the court order should be issued to put the sale on hold until a private arbitrator can hear the case and decide whether Oates was legally allowed to sell his stake to Primary Wave.
Chancellor Rules Sale Cannot Move Forward
On the other side, Oates' attorneys said they believed that the case should play out in arbitration and that Hall is "not entitled to any relief at all." At most, Oates' attorneys conceded, the judge should extend the restraining order by only a few weeks.
Chancellor Russell T. Perkins ultimately ruled Thursday that the sale cannot move forward until Feb. 17, 2024, or until a private arbitrator hears the case, whichever comes first.
Perkins noted that Hall could face "irreparable harm" if Oates' sale to Primary Wave -- which has purchased the catalogs of several prominent artists -- moves forward before Hall is able to prove it violates terms of their partnership deal.
Details of the Legal Dispute
Hall first filed court documents on Nov. 16 seeking "emergency injunctive relief in aid of an arbitration" in the matter of Oates' alleged deal with Primary Wave, which Hall claims is "an indisputable breach of contract.
"The temporary injunctive relief sought herein is in aid of the arbitration so that the status quo of the partnership may be maintained, and the claims may be considered in the arbitration by the arbitrator in due course on the merits before irreparable damage is done by a closing of the Unauthorized Transaction," the court filing reads.
Hall filed a temporary restraining order against Oates on Nov. 16 as a means to "expedite proceedings" in the matter. The order, which states in part that Oates "shall take no actions related to or in furtherance of closing the proposed transaction with Primary Wave," was granted on the same day.
