Latest in Association of Talent Agents

ICM Partners has filed a motion to dismiss an anti-packaging lawsuit brought by the WGA, calling the guild's claims "absurd." The WGA and writers Patricia Carr and Chip Johannessen sued the agency in April for breach of fiduciary duty and constructive fraud. ICM's demurrer, filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court…

With the ongoing battle between the WGA and Hollywood's talent agencies now in its fourth month, the guild's negotiating committee reminded writers tonight to be wary of fired agents offering to "help" their out-of-work former clients. More than 7,000 writers have fired their agents who refused to sign the guild's…

Chernobyl writer-creator Craig Mazin says he's "disappointed" with the WGA's rejection of the Association of Talent Agents' offer to share the backend profits of packaged TV shows with writers, and that he doesn't see the guild's three-month-long standoff ending without a change in leadership. The guild's election of…

Nearly three months into the WGA's standoff with Hollywood's talent agents, WGA West president David A. Goodman says he's "surprised" that more midsize and smaller agencies haven't broken ranks with the Association of Talent Agents and signed the WGA's new Code of Conduct. From the beginning, the guild has said that…

Six Democratic members of the California Legislature have signed a letter of support for the WGA's ongoing battle with Hollywood's talent agencies. "As members of the California Legislature, we stand in support of the action taken by members of the Writers Guild of America to ensure talent agencies end their…

UPDATED with WGA statement, 1:05 PM: The WGA's new agreement with the Verve talent agency "could substantially and negatively affect both writer income and writer privacy" and "should be of serious concern to agencies of all sizes and, more important, their writer clients," according to a legal analysis by Latham…

Just days before the Big 4 agencies were facing a deadline to respond to the Writers Guild of America's anti-packaging lawsuit filed last month, the guild amended its initial filing late Monday with a constructive fraud claim that was quickly repudiated by the Association of Talent Agents. "This is a desperate attempt…

One $300 million legal dust-up between AMC and former The Walking Dead showrunner Frank Darabont and his representatives at CAA is heading to trial next year. But another lawsuit in the profit-participation dispute looks to be barreling towards a Hollywood labor minefield. "The dirty secret in Hollywood is that talent…

UPDATED with WGA statement, 6:17 PM: The Agency for the Performing Arts has added its name to the list of mid-level agencies saying they won’t sign the WGA's new Code of Conduct. "APA has no intention of signing the WGA's Code of Conduct, which in its current form will have a negative impact on our clients by limiting…

Now that Verve has signed the WGA's Agency Code of Conduct, speculation has begun about which mid-size agency will be next to sign. On Thursday, David Gersh, co-president of The Gersh Agency, denied rumors that his company might be next. "The agency has not engaged in any conversations with the WGA and continues to be…

In the aftermath of the WGA severing ties with the Association of Talent Agents and sending out 7,000 emails from members firing their agents, writers are getting used to a new and potentially uncertain reality. While firmly supporting their guild, many wonder exactly what WGA leadership’s endgame is in the standoff…

As the WGA's fight with Hollywood's talent agencies wraps its second week, the guild told its members Friday that its new Staffing Submission System is working and that it will expand access to the system ahead of next month’s ufpronts. The system, which launched on April 1 while the guild still was in negotiations…