Michael Kassan Ethan Miller/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text The legal showdown between Michael Kassan and United Talent Agency over the MediaLink founder's exit has settled. "UTA and Michael Kassan have agreed to amicably end their dispute," said UTA and Sanford Michelman, a lawyer for Kassan, on Thursday. "The parties are not at liberty to comment further." Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed. The timing and announcement of Kassan's departure fueled bad-blooded litigation. Last year, UTA revealed that it had terminated him for cause on March 7 for misappropriation of company funds. After, Kassan said he had resigned on March 6 over how the agency ran MediaLink, which UTA acquired in 2021 for $125 million. Related Stories Business Creator Eric Sedeno Signs With UTA (Exclusive) Business UTA Appoints Darnell Strom to Lead London Office With Eye on Growth Into "Major International Hub" In an arbitration action initiated by Kassan days after the revelation that named chief executive Jeremy Zimmer, he claimed that the agency reneged on certain terms relating to what he would oversee at UTA and allowances for his special expenses budget. He maintained that he had resigned before he was terminated. UTA, in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on the same day as its announcement that it had terminated Kassan, accused the executive of treating company money as a "personal slush fund." It alleged that he wrote checks to himself from the company's business checking account and directed MediaLink to divert his special expenses budget to his S-corporation, a pass through entity generally used for tax purposes. In total, he allegedly received over $700,000 before the payments ceased when it was realized that his contract did not allow lump sum payments, according to the complaint. In 2003, Kassan founded the strategic advisory firm MediaLink, which was then acquired by UK-based Ascential in 2016. Five years later, UTA bought the company after an aggressive courting effort. As part of the deal, Kassan remained as chief executive of MediaLink and became a partner at UTA. By Kassan's telling of events, the agency schemed to silo MediaLink and pressure him into increasing prices, on top of refusing to invest in the firm and slashing its marketing spend. He said he submitted his resignation on March 6, with an effective date of April 5 unless changes were made at the company. In response, Zimmer allegedly rejected his resignation and, days later, terminated him for cause based on marketing spend and charitable giving that the agency allegedly agreed to. When Zimmer started to prioritize cost-cutting, Kassan said that the firm backtracked on certain terms contemplated in the sale. This allegedly included UTA directing Kassan to drastically discount services to UTA clients at the expense of MediaLink, shuttering its profitable executive search business and promoting certain people "in exchange for their complicity in UTA's scheme to induce Kassan to agree to the UTA and Ascential transaction." The case was later sent to arbitration behind closed doors. Kassan also sued UTA's lawyer, Bryan Freedman, for defamation. The MediaLink founder accused him of trying to tarnish his reputation the direction of UTA in a bid to prevent employees and clients from following him to his next venture. The lawsuit was later dismissed. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Podcasts Bobbi Althoff Signs Off From 'The Really Good Podcast' Universal Music Group Universal Music Posts $3.4B In Revenue For Latest Quarter, $6.7B For First Half of 2025 Survivor TV Production Giant Banijay Records Revenue Gain In First Half of the Year People Inc. Meet People Inc: Dotdash Meredith Media Empire Unveils Rebrand Sports Fox Buys Major Stake in Penske Entertainment, Extending Indycar Rights Deal Kamala Harris Kamala Harris Unveils Simon & Schuster Deal With Book on 107-Day Campaign Podcasts Bobbi Althoff Signs Off From 'The Really Good Podcast' Universal Music Group Universal Music Posts $3.4B In Revenue For Latest Quarter, $6.7B For First Half of 2025 Survivor TV Production Giant Banijay Records Revenue Gain In First Half of the Year People Inc. Meet People Inc: Dotdash Meredith Media Empire Unveils Rebrand Sports Fox Buys Major Stake in Penske Entertainment, Extending Indycar Rights Deal Kamala Harris Kamala Harris Unveils Simon & Schuster Deal With Book on 107-Day Campaign