Tom Petty: Still Headlining

By Kent Berk on November 21st, 2022 in Estate Administration, Estate Litigation, LITIGATION, PROBATE LITIGATION

I’m not a professional or even amateur headline writer, but if I were, mine would read as:

“Petty Estate ‘Won’t Back Down’: Demands Kari Lake’s Campaign Immediately Cease & Desist in Wake of Arizona Governorship Loss”

Just a few years ago, the Petty Estate was embroiled in litigation over who would be appointed to lead the administration of the Estate, i.e., the personal representative. Among many other things, and dependent on the circumstances, a personal representative is someone with the authority – and perhaps an obligation – to issue cease and desist letters on behalf of an estate. You can find an extensive general outline of powers and duties of a personal representative on our website here.

The dispute involved Petty’s survivors: his widow Dana York on the one hand, and his daughters Adria and Annakim Violette on the other. The three eventually reached a settlement that resolved their differences and dismissed all litigation matters filed related to the Estate.

As part of the resolution, the survivors announced the formation of Tom Petty Legacy, LLC. The LLC was formed at least in part to manage Tom Petty’s legacy, including the use of his music. In their public statement, the newly anointed Estate administrators announced that they would each have “equal standing in Tom Petty Legacy LLC and will work together on all future endeavors.” Interestingly, the announcement further expressed sincere regrets that “in their intense grief over Tom’s tragic death, actions were taken that were hurtful to one another.”

It is evident that the Estate’s administrators are working well together in the aftermath of their resolution over the estate controversy. Following the formation of the Tom Petty Legacy LLC, the LLC, along with Petty’s long-time publisher, Wixen Music Publishing, released a string of compilations and live albums to acclaim. The recent headlines highlight the Estate’s robust and active protection of Petty’s legacy (i.e., his intellectual property). Following the cease and desist letter to Lake’s campaign, Tom Petty’s verified Twitter account tweeted on November 17, 2022 that the Estate and its partners were “exploring all of [their] legal options to stop [Kari Lake’s] unauthorized use and to prohibit future misappropriations of Tom’s beloved anthem.”