Michael Sinclair, general counsel of UTA. (Photo: Alex Berliner)United Talent Agency Taps Michael Sinclair as General Counsel
Sinclair, who has worked for the global talent agency for nearly a decade, steps up from his position as associate general counsel.
February 11, 2020 at 02:36 PM
3 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Corporate Counsel
United Talent Agency, one of the most powerful talent agencies in the world, has elevated Michael Sinclair to the role of general counsel.
Sinclair, who has worked for the global talent agency for nearly a decade, steps up from his position as associate general counsel to manage the Beverly Hills-based firm's growing legal team, according to an announcement on Tuesday.
Sinclair succeeds Andrew Thau, who acted as UTA's top lawyer while also holding the position of chief operating officer. Thau will stay on as COO and continue to serve as a member of the firm's board of directors.
In 2016, Sinclair and Thau were pulled into a public dispute with rival talent agency Creative Artists Agency. CAA alleged that Sinclair, Thau and UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer had conspired to poach several famous clients, including Will Ferrell and Chris Pratt.
UTA described the claims as a "flailing and desperate attempt to save face" after the actors defected from CAA. The dispute ended with a confidential settlement in early 2019.
While he's now UTA's chief lawyer, Sinclair will continue to report to Thau, who stated that the GC appointment was "well-deserved" and "reflects the key role Michael plays at UTA." He went on to describe Sinclair as "one of our most trusted and thoughtful executives, respected by his colleagues and by people across the industry.
"He has been a key part of driving our legal strategy and his counsel has been integral on many sensitive and complicated issues," Thau added. "We are incredibly fortunate to have Michael's leadership and strategic counsel as UTA continues to expand and evolve."
Sinclair joined UTA in 2012 after working for more than three years as a lawyer at the Los Angeles firm of Glaser Weil Fink Howard Avchen & Shapiro, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was not immediately available for an interview. But he said in a statement that UTA was facing "an especially exciting and challenging time for our business."
He added, "I'm proud to have been part of the trajectory of UTA over these past nine years as we've experienced tremendous growth and change on so many fronts, and am looking forward to working closely with our team to create new opportunities for the agency and our clients as we navigate the evolving landscape of 21st century entertainment."
In addition to its Beverly Hills headquarters, UTA has locations in Miami, Nashville, New York and London.
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