ICM Partners history

James Wiatt was named president of the agency in 1985.

Nancy Josephson had been an entertainment lawyer in New York City before joining ICM in 1986.

ICM was taken private in 1988 in a $70 million management buyout.

In 1989 ICM signed an innovative five-year production agreement with Glinwood Films, a British sales company.

By 1990, ICM was at the top of its game.

Also in 1991, ICM acquired the Fair Warning musical talent agency.

ICM moved out of West Hollywood and signed a lease on a Beverly Hills headquarters building in June 1992.

As new possibilities arose, ICM negotiated a deal with Random House and Broderbund Software to bring Doctor Seuss to electronic media in 1993.

In March 1995, ICM fired four LA agents who planned to start their own agency, charging them with trespassing and stealing client files.

By 1996, ICM had offices in London and Paris, joint ventures in Madrid and Rome, and was planning to open branches in Hong Kong and Latin America.

1998: James Wiatt leaves ICM; several agents and clients follow.

James Wiatt resigned in August 1999, citing differences with Jeff Berg.

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, known for representing Julia Roberts for a dozen years, left ICM in September 2000 to head the New York office of Revolution Studios, a new production venture.

In 2005, the company raised a financing round of $75 million from Rizvi Traverse.

Silbermann joined ICM in 2006 when it acquired Broder Webb Chervin Silbermann Agency, where he was the youngest partner and earned a reputation as a sharp and ambitious agent.

He once trained with a professional boxer and has likened his job to that of legendary former Lakers coach Phil Jackson. “Meditating keeps your mind sharp,” Silbermann told W Magazine in 2008. “But go easy on the yogi stuff. … In my business it works much better to say, ‘I’ll punch you!’”

In 2012, the agency completed a management buyout and formed a partnership with the new name, ICM Partners.

Alexander joined ICM Partners in 2014 after stints at Resolution talent agency and CAA, where he was best known for representing the late actor Heath Ledger.

Kiran Subramaniam, 32, started as an assistant at ICM in July 2015.

She said she was never advised by ICM to go to HR. She cited emails with ICM representatives reviewed by The Times, including a September 2016 exchange in which an agent wrote that he was “really excited to be working together.”

Last year, ICM, which represents such stars as Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, Regina King, Michael Keaton and Wanda Sykes — declared victory, telling Variety that at least half the agents promoted to partner status since 2017 were female.

In March 2018, ICM acquired the Just For Laughs comedy festival, as part of a partnership with Howie Mandel.

In February 2019, Turell slammed his hands on his desk and yelled at an assistant in front of co-workers after she connected him a few minutes late to a phone call.

In June 2020, the agency launched “Diversity/ICM,” an initiative focused on the recruitment, training and mentorship of Black candidates in the agent training program, with seven internship spots reserved for candidates from historically Black colleges and universities.