Hollywood Brawl Intensifies: Michael Kassan Plots New Venture as Insiders Weigh MediaLink’s Future Without Founder

Available to WrapPRO members

As UTA and Kassan trade barbs in dueling lawsuits, media execs wonder what happens to MediaLink — and if he can launch a rival business

UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and Michael Kassan
UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer and MediaLink founder Michael Kassan (Chris Smith/TheWrap)

MediaLink founder and CEO Michael Kassan is determined to set up a new company to take on the juggernaut consultancy he built now that he is out at United Talent Agency, he told TheWrap.

But whether he will be able to do that is at the heart of the bitter dispute between UTA and the powerhouse strategic adviser.

UTA, led by CEO Jeremy Zimmer, is accusing Kassan of “wasting millions of UTA’s dollars” and says Kassan has a noncompete for two years, while Kassan’s lawyer says that doesn’t hold because he quit — freeing him to poach clients and employees from the Hollywood agency.  

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.