APA has signed an agreement with the Writers Guild of America, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The news comes four days after fellow full-service agency Gersh did the same, earning the green light from the union to resume representation of its members. The two lead a growing list of agencies that have individually come to terms with the WGA, which remains locked in a nine-month stalemate with the Association of Talent Agents.
At issue: The WGA demands the cessation of packaging fees and affiliate production, mostly practiced by the three biggest agencies, WME, CAA and UTA, which are embroiled in litigation with the guild. ICM Partners and Paradigm are the other two major Hollywood agencies that have yet to sign a code of conduct with the WGA.
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As APA welcomes writers back onto its roster, it also is combining its TV and film literary divisions into one unit, APA Scripted Literary. Partners Lindsay Howard Parker and Sheryl Petersen will co-lead the department and continue to report to executive vp and head of literary Lee Dinstman. The Alternative and Factual Programming department will continue to be led by Hayden Meyer, and Intellectual Property by Steve Fisher.
“APA is a full-service global boutique focused solely on artists, their careers and their personal experience as clients of the agency,” Dinstman, Howard Parker and Petersen, as well as fellow literary partners Kyle Loftus and David Saunders, said Tuesday in a joint statement. “Representing writers has and will continue to be a cornerstone of this company. We remain tirelessly dedicated to offering clients the best possible representation with a forward-thinking approach. Integrating APA’s Television and Motion Picture departments will best position APA to provide distinct and effective service to clients in a marketplace driven by content creators and global streaming. Everything in our business starts with the written word. We are thrilled to return to work in support of writers effective immediately.”
