CAA And UTA Settle ‘Lawless, Midnight Raid’ Lawsuit Over Agency Defections

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The legal battle between Creative Artists Agency and United Talent Agency over several 2015 agency defections – charactized at one time by CAA as a “lawless, midnight raid” – has come to a close. 

CAA filed a complaint against UTA in April 2015 that also named comedy agents Gregory Cavic and Gregory McKnight after Cavic and McKnight, along with Martin Lesak, Jason Heyman and Nick Nuciforo, departed CAA for UTA. The agents made the move joined by clients including Will Ferrell and Chris Pratt. The suit’s introduction declared, “This case is about a lawless, midnight raid that UTA and its co-conspirators launched against CAA in a desperate attempt to steal clients and employees.”

Deadline reported Monday that the case has been settled, but noted that details were not released. 

Pollstar reached out to UTA for comment and was directed to contact lawyer Bryan J. Freedman, Esq., who provided the same statement issued to Deadline: “The matters were resolved and the state court action, the arbitration and the petitions were all dismissed.” CAA declined to comment. 

CAA’s 2015 suit, which accused the agents of an “illegal and unethical conspiracy” had sought damages and injunctive relief for intentional interference with contractual relations, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage, breach of fiduciary duty, conspiracy to breach fiduciary duty, breach of duty of loyalty, conspiracy to breach duty of loyalty, and violations of business and professions code section 17200.

The suit claimed that Cavic and McKnight “solicited existing and prospective CAA clients on behalf of UTA while still employed by CAA; delayed meetings and deals with existing and potential CAA clients in order to make it more likely that they would complete such deals after leaving CAA and becoming partners at UTA with the intent to divert as much of CAA’s business to UTA as possible; encouraged existing and prospective CAA clients to avoid exclusive relationships with CAA and/or to alter their existing relationships with the agency; and solicited and encouraged other CAA employees to do the same so that significant economic opportunities could more easily be diverted to UTA.” 

As Deadline points out, a total of 10 agents jumped from CAA to UTA in spring 2015, including John Sacks, Susie Fox, Joanna Scott, Mackenzie Condon and Chelsea McKinnies.

More recently, Mark Gordon joined UTA’s comedy touring department in December. He previously worked in the comedy touring department at Creative Artists Agency for five years where he specialized in booking colleges and creating touring opportunities for crossover talent. 

In late January Eman Redwan made the move from CAA to UTA. She will work as a digital talent agent for UTA’s digital talent division, which reps influencers across platforms like YouTube and Instagram, after previously specializing in strategic brand partnerships in beauty and lifestyle at CAA.