Michael Kassan’s $125M Defamation Suit Against UTA Lawyer Bryan Freedman Looks DOA; Ex-MediaLink CEO’s Contract Dispute With Agency Moves To Arbitration

deadline.com:

Ex-MediaLink CEO Michael Kassan has had one of those weeks where you lose one and you win one, kinda. Coming off LA Superior Court Judge Kerry Bensinger’s May 16 ruling to grant Kassan’s desire to see the fallout from his abrupt and messy March exit from UTA and the vitial noncompete clause moved behind closed doors to arbitration, things were looking good for the exec heading into a publicly stated return to his comfort zone of Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June.

Yeah, the agency can still pursue some claims later once the arbitration progresses and the stay is removed, but that won’t be until at least November 15 under the court’s schedule.

Things were looking good for smooth operator Kassan until another LASC Judge today decided to tentatively shut down the ex-CEO’s $125 million defamation case against sharp elbowed Hollywood litigator Bryan Freedman.

Back on March 25, UTA outside counsel Freedman told Deadline (actually me to be specific) that Kassan was a “pathological liar.” Mirroring the exact dollar amount UTA purchased strategic advisory firm MediaLink for in late 2021, Kassan went after Freedman for the quip four days later with his pointed suit.