Wasserman Music has acquired Paradigm’s U.K. live-music representation business. The London-based team is now reunited with their old comrades in North America. The deal finds U.K. partners and CODA founders Dave Hallybone, Alex Hardee, Tom Schroeder and James Whitting joining Wasserman’s music-managing executive team. The U.K. crew boasts two dozen agents and a staff of 72. A Wasserman office has now been established in London.

CODA linked up with Paradigm in 2014 and was fully brought under the latter’s umbrella in 2019. Wasserman Music was launched in April of 2021.

Whitting, Hallybone, Hardee, Schroeder: Milk, two sugars; milk, one sugar; no milk, two sugars; milk, two sugars

The deal puts Wasserman in charge of representation outside North America for Bon Iver, FKA twigs, Lewis Capaldi, Liam Payne, Mark Ronson, My Chemical Romance, PinkPantheress, Rag'n'Bone Man, Rita Ora, Robyn, Sean Paul, Shawn Mendes, Take That and X Ambassadors, among others.

Agency boss Casey Wasserman expressed his delight in reuniting the U.K. team with the U.S. crew. “They not only persevered through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic,” he noted of the Brits, “but prioritized their clients and partnerships in a way that is consistent with our values and commitment to talent. With this group now under one banner, we have a truly serviceable and scalable global music practice and look forward to strengthening our platform together.”

Added EVP/Managing Executive Marty Diamond, “We share common values and a deep commitment to artist development, and with live music coming back huge this year, we're confident that together we can secure the health, success and growth of our clients' careers throughout the world.”

“Casey and his team are the most ambitious we have ever met, and their reach and vision is inspiring. We have always seen ourselves as the alternative, and that fits better today than ever before,” declared Schroeder.

Paradigm U.K. majority shareholder Sam Gores praised the U.K. music partners as “an exceptional group.”

Wasserman was repped by McGuireWoods as U.S. counsel in the deal, with Clarke Willmott as U.K. counsel. Paradigm was represented for legal by Venable LLP as U.S. counsel and Osborne Clarke as U.K. counsel.

Photo credit: Chloe Mallett