Michael Kassan Says He ‘Feels Good’...

Nearly a year and a half after United Talent Agency accused one of media’s most heralded dealmakers, Michael Kassan, of misappropriating nearly $1 million in business funds for personal use, the two parties are putting an end to their legal drama.

“UTA and Michael Kassan have agreed to amicably end their dispute,” a UTA spokesperson and Kassan’s attorney, Sanford Michelman, said in a joint statement shared with ADWEEK. 

They did not disclose the details of the arrangement. 

Asked how he feels now that the dispute is behind him, Kassan told ADWEEK, “I feel good. I feel good because I generally have a positive attitude and I’m an optimistic guy. And I feel good about the prognosis for the business that I’m building”—a nod to the momentum behind his new media consultancy, 3C Ventures, which launched last year amid the clash with UTA.

UTA declined to comment beyond the statement. 

The talent and entertainment agency acquired Kassan’s media advisory firm MediaLink in December 2021 for $125 million. 

It was a partnership UTA co-founder and then-chief executive Jeremy Zimmer had high hopes for, noting in 2023, “As the creator economy continues to explode, and as brands want to lean more and more into creators and influencers, it gives us a much bigger seat at the table.”

But the deal came crashing down last March after Kassan unceremoniously departed the company, citing a breach of contract. UTA, however, said that Kassan was fired for misappropriating company funds. 

What ensued thereafter was an intense legal battle between the two. 

Kassan claimed in a lawsuit filed in March 2024 that UTA violated promises made as part of the MediaLink acquisition, and in a separate filing went after UTA’s lawyer Bryan Freedman for alleged defamation. 

UTA filed suit the same day as Kassan, alleging that the exec had treated company money as his “personal slush fund.” The agency claimed that Kassan failed to uphold his fiduciary duties and pulled funds directly from the company’s business checking account, in some cases spending this money on lavish personal expenses.

In June of last year, Kassan announced the launch of 3C Ventures. 

3CV appears to be thriving, having grown to around 35 employees and servicing upwards of 60 clients, according to Kassan. The company showed up in force at the ad industry’s most prestigious annual event, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, last month with a splashy, $3 million beachfront activation.