Range Media Partners sued by talent giant CAA for allegedly stealing confidential information

A legal dispute over a blockbuster movie is brewing in Hollywood.

Major talent agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency) has filed a lawsuit against the management company. range media partners This week, he accused the latter company of “stealing confidential information” ahead of its 2020 launch.

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday (September 30), also alleges that Range is an “unlicensed talent agency founded on deception.”

The full lawsuit, which can be read here, further alleges that Range’s founder and former CAA agent is “looking for a shortcut to success.” Peter Miceli He “located four highly paid CAA leaders as accomplices” and then “implemented a scheme to give Range an illegal competitive advantage.”

The former employees, named in the lawsuit as Jack Whigham, David Bagliari, Michael Cooper and Mick Sullivan, posed as “loyal CAA members” and attended “confidential CAA meetings regarding clients and business matters.” It is said that while attending, he was also sitting “in secret” at the same time. They are working to benefit the Range and themselves and to the detriment of CAA. ”

range media partners launched Written by Mr. Micelli in 2020 after retiring from CAA in 2018. He spent nearly 20 years at CAA.

Renzi currently manages talent across the music, film, sports and television industries. The company represents superstars such as Bradley Cooper, Keira Knightley, Tom Hardy, M. Night Shyamalan, Michael Bay, Jack Harlow, PartyNextDoor, Midland, Cordae, Bazzi, and Sean Douglas. Recently, Rita Ora.

In April, Range secured a minority investment from a group of investors including Liberty Global and the family office of TPG Chairman David Bonderman.

CAA says in its lawsuit that Range’s founders publicly announced their formation in August 2020, when in reality, “by August 2020,” Miceli and other former CAA agents were terminated by CAA. They spent months stealing confidential information.”

The lawsuit also alleges that former CAA employees “worked with Miceli to induce other CAA employees known to the Range founders to assist in the theft of CAA’s confidential information.”

The lawsuit goes on to say that “Range’s founders knew they were committing fraud and tried to cover their tracks to avoid being caught. He urged them to download encrypted messaging apps to avoid detection of their communications by the CAA, and directed CAA employees to export sensitive information.” For delivery to certain personal email accounts and mobile phones of accomplices. The accomplices did all this while working as senior leaders and talent agents at CAA. ”

In addition to accusing Range of stealing confidential information, CAA also accused Range Media Partners of acting as a “label” while acting as a talent agency, circumventing California regulations. It is also accused of being.[ling itself a management company” and is also alleged to be “engage[ing] A lucrative deal seized by a law-abiding talent agency.”

California Talent Agency Law need Talent agents must be licensed by the California Labor Commission.

CAA’s complaint alleges that a 2020 email from a current Range partner “suggests that Range was attempting to exploit the ‘gray area’ between talent agents and managers.”

CAA alleges in its lawsuit: “By not registering as a distributor, Range could potentially circumvent regulations meant to protect its customers. For its accomplices, they could continue to receive a share of CAA’s profits by claiming they were not competing with CAA. (even if they are working to harm the CAA).”

In addition to allegedly acting as an unlicensed talent agent, CAA accused Renzi and other former CAA agents of engaging in “a series of tortious acts in violation of California Business and Professions Code Section 17200 and other legal obligations.” Accused.

The CAA is seeking an injunction ordering Range to return confidential information and “prohibiting” Range from:

“Use or disclose CAA’s confidential information; (2) use confidential information to unlawfully solicit CAA’s investors, clients, or customers; (3) unlawfully solicit confidential information from CAA’s employees; (4) represent any Writers Guild of America (“WGA”) member without authorization from the WGA in unlawful violation of the TAA;

CAA is also seeking damages and a jury trial.

Range Media Partners has become a prominent name in the music business over the past four years.

In September 2023, Range launched a music publishing division led by Casey Robison, former executive vice president of A&R at Hipgnosis Songs Group.

Last week, Range Music Publishing entered into an exclusive global management agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group.

In June 2021, Range Media entered into a worldwide distribution agreement with Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Virgin Music & Artist Label Services.world music business