Business spat between Daryl Hall and John Oates has been resolved in
arbitration, attorneys say
[August 12, 2025]
By JONATHAN MATTISE
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Daryl Hall and John Oates have resolved their
dispute over a Hall & Oates business partnership through arbitration,
reaching a private ending after details of their rift went public in
court documents filed in a 2023 lawsuit by Hall against Oates, according
to a court filing Monday.
In Monday's status report, attorneys for Hall noted the case received a
final judgment in arbitration and they filed a proposed order for the
judge, Nashville Chancellor Russell Perkins, to dismiss the case. In
mid-July, Perkins ordered Hall's attorneys to offer an update in the
case, which had last seen a public filing in December 2023.
It's unclear when the arbitration process was finalized. And details
were not revealed about the arbitration outcome between the duo who made
music together for more than a half century, including hits in the 1970s
and ’80s such as “Maneater,” “Rich Girl” “Kiss on My List” and “I Can’t
Go for That (No Can Do).”
Robb Harvey, an attorney for Hall, declined to comment. Representatives
for Oates did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request
for comment.
In 2023 filings in the case, Hall accused Oates of blindsiding and
betraying him, saying their relationship and his trust in Oates have
deteriorated. Oates replied that he was “deeply hurt” that Hall was
making “inflammatory, outlandish, and inaccurate statements” about him.
The judge had paused the sale of Oates’ stake in Whole Oats Enterprises
LLP to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC. Whole Oats includes
valuable Hall & Oates materials such as trademarks, personal name and
likeness rights, record royalty income and website and social media
assets, a court declaration says.
The dispute went public in November 2023, when Hall filed the lawsuit
asking the judge to stop the sale by Oates so private arbitration could
begin.
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Hall of Fame Inductees John Oates, left, and Daryl Hall appear in
the press room at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony,
April, 10, 2014, in New York. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP,
File)
 Hall gave a scathing account of
their relationship in early November 2023 during arbitration, and it
was made public later in the month in the lawsuit. It alleges that
Oates and his team engaged in the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by
pushing to sell his share while telling Hall’s associates that he
wanted to maintain his ownership.
In his own declaration, Oates expressed
disappointment with his longtime partner’s words, saying Hall’s
accusations that Oates went behind his back and breached their
agreement aren’t true. Oates declined to go into specifics, saying
he’s obligated to keep details private, even if Hall didn’t.
Last year, Oates told The Associated Press that he's had “no
communication” with Hall and declined to discuss the legal
proceedings. He did not see a Hall & Oates reunion in his future.
“I personally don’t see it happening. It’s not in my plans at all.
You can ask Daryl Hall what he thinks. But for me personally, no,”
he says.
The Times asked Hall in February if the ship had sailed on mending
the pair's relationship.
“That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean,” Hall told the news
outlet. “I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments,
betrayals, so I’m kind of used to it.”
___
Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this report.
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