UTA vs. Michael Kassan: A $125 Million Deal With an Advertising Powerhouse Blows Up

Available to WrapPRO members

Kassan claims UTA retaliated after he quit in March. The agency alleges he misspent millions on a “lavish personal lifestyle”

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

A pair of reputation-destroying lawsuits between UTA and its star rainmaker Michael Kassan burst into public view this week in an extraordinary airing of nasty gossip from a relationship that should have been a massive business win. 

The legal salvos are damaging for both UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer, who usually likes to keep his business private, and Kassan, the smooth-talking executive now engaged in vicious invective against his former friend. 

“UTA’s claims are a desperate attack in response to Kassan resigning and then suing them,” Kassan attorney Sanford Michelman said in a statement to TheWrap. “It is not just hypocrisy, but an attempted diversion tactic by UTA to hide that they fraudulently induced Michael into agreeing to a transaction when Zimmer had no intention of honoring his word.” 

Comments