WGA-ATA Showdown

Hollywood's Big 3 talent agencies estimate that it will cost them more than $10 million to produce all the documents the WGA is seeking in discovery as their yearlong legal battle over packaging fees winds its way slowly towards trial next March. The WGA, however, says the discovery costs to the agencies will be much…

“We look forward to proceeding with discovery and then to trial,” the WGA told its members today of its yearlong legal battle with the Big 3 talent agencies. That’s despite a stinging, but not total, loss in court Monday, when a federal judge dismissed a large chunk of the guild's antitrust lawsuit against WME, CAA…

UPDATED with WGA statement, 8:56: Saying the WGA’s claims were “gutted,” Hollywood’s Big 3 talent agencies declared “a resounding victory” in a statement reacting to a federal judge dismissing huge chunks of the union's antitrust lawsuit against them today. In its own statement later, however, the WGA said it plans to…

One year after the WGA ordered thousands of its members to fire their agents in a dispute over packaging fees and agency-related production entities, neither side shows any signs they are willing to give in. At least where it comes to the four biggest packaging agencies – WME, CAA, UTA and ICM Partners – writers have…

EXCLUSIVE, UPDATED with WGA statement: The Big Three talent agencies, locked in an antitrust lawsuit with the WGA, have asked a federal judge to temporarily stay discovery on certain documents sought by the guild, saying there is a "clear possibility" the guild's counterclaims against them will be dismissed. On…

UPDATED with additional info, full franchise agreement: Paradigm Talent Agency has signed a new franchise agreement with the Writers Guild of America, and will be able to resume representation of its WGA-represented writer clients immediately. The deal was announced by Paradigm chairman and CEO Sam Gores. Paradigm…

The WGA said Friday that "over the past few months, the guild has provided guidance on over a hundred individual deals to members who have found themselves without their normal advisors due to the agency campaign." In its latest membership update on its 10½-month battle with the major talent agencies, the guild reporte…

WGA president David A. Goodman told members Friday that the guild has had "substantive discussion with all but one" of the five biggest talent agencies about making deals that could end the guild's 10-month battle over packaging fees, adding that "those we have spoken to have said directly to me they would like to…

UPDATED with more details: Innovative Artists has joined the list of agencies that have signed a deal with the Writers Guild of America. With the signing, the Association of Talent Agents, which has been at loggerheads with the WGA since last April, now has three members of its 16-member board of directors whose…

UPDATED with WGA and ATA statements and more details: Another full-service agency and Association of Talent Agents member, APA, has reached a deal with the WGA. The agency, which immediately will resume its representation of writers, also said it will bring the Television and Motion Picture Literary businesses…

UPDATED with details, full text of agreement: A major development in the standoff between the WGA and the agencies: Gersh has become the first major full-service talent agency to sign a franchise agreement with the WGA. It will immediately resume representation of writers. The agreement comes after months of…

Friday's scheduled hearing on the Big 3 talent agencies' motions to dismiss the WGA's antitrust suit against them has been rescheduled for January 24. U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte Jr. gave no reason for the one-week postponement. Earlier this month, the judge denied the WGA's motion to dismiss the agencies'…