Mike Fleming

UPDATE: Levity Entertainment Group, known as a generator of comedy programming, has issued a press release on Norm Aladjem’s arrival from Paradigm. At Paradigm, owner Sam Gores will be overseeing the talent department and has set veteran agent Andrew Ruf to replace Aladjem. Ruf is a 15-year vet of Paradigm who ran the motion picture finance department, and whose clients include Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Adrien Brody and Kim Basinger. Ruf will work closely with Sarah Fargo, who runs the New York talent department and has clients including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Gabriel Byrne. Erwin Moore continues as head of Paradigm’s TV talent department. Levity’s release is at the bottom:

EXCLUSIVE: Norm Aladjem has just announced his exit from Paradigm, where he was a member of the management committee and head of the agency’s talent department. He is going to Levity Entertainment Group. At Paradigm, he was a key piece of the agency’s talent manpower, and repped such clients as Katherine Heigl, Julie Bowen, Peter Facinelli, Sharon Stone, Gabrielle Union and Kim Basinger. He also reps Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall, who will continue with their long-time manager J.P. Williams. Here’s his statement to Paradigm staffers:

To my Paradigm family,

I have a friend who doesn’t like to say goodbye. Instead, he always says “see you in a minute”.

I am writing to let you all know that I am leaving the agency business to become President of Levity Entertainment Group.

Levity is a vertically integrated entertainment company with production, digital, management, and branding/licensing divisions. Its partners also own numerous comedy clubs around the country.

I have been an agent for almost seventeen years, eight of them here at Paradigm. Sam has been a wonderful mentor and friend and I leave with more than a little sadness. Yet the opportunity to help guide a cutting edge company involved in content creation and distribution across multiple platforms of traditional and digital media was simply too exciting a challenge for me to ignore. In my new position I will get to flex very different muscles than one does as an agent.

Under Sam’s leadership Paradigm has accomplished amazing things, and no doubt will continue to do so. We expect that the clients whose lives I’ve been a part of will continue on with Paradigm, and I will be here to help make all the transitions smooth and orderly.

I will miss our clients.

I will miss being in the battlefield, although I know that different battlefields await me.

And most of all I will miss my Paradigm family. We’ve laughed together, cried together, toiled together and celebrated together. Those memories will be and remain a part of me forever.

See you in a minute.

Norm

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Here is the press release from Levity:

CULVER CITY, CA — April 20, 2012 — Norman Aladjem is joining Levity Entertainment Group as President, it was announced today by Levity Chairman Robert Hartmann.   Aladjem comes to Levity after eight years with Paradigm Talent and Literary Agency, where he was Chairman of the management committee.

“Levity’s business, which has always been strong in live comedy, comedy talent management and television production, has grown and become more diverse. We’re delighted to have an A-list executive — with experience in every entertainment vertical — join us as we further expand to take advantage of emerging opportunities in both traditional and digital packaging and production,” said Hartmann.

Levity Entertainment Group manages one of the industry’s largest rosters of comedy talent, owns one of the nation’s largest groups of comedy clubs and live performance spaces, and has produced more than 500 hours of award-winning programming for cable, network and first-run syndication.  The company’s recent expansion includes producing original content and digital IP that is measurably driving talent and brands.

“Talent today needs career architecture that includes directly produced and owned properties, and that takes full advantage of digital, mobile and social distribution platforms. Levity’s unique combination of assets can propel the next generation of talent,” added Aladjem.

Aladjem has been at Paradigm since 2004.  In addition to his executive responsibilities at the agency, he oversaw the agency’s talent department and his personal client list included such stars as Katherine Heigl, Sharon Stone and Larry The Cable Guy.  Previously, Aladjem was Chairman and CEO of Writers and Artists Agency, a leading talent and literary boutique which Paradigm acquired in 2004.  Aladjem received his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law, practiced law at the renowned entertainment law firm Armstrong, Hirsch, Jackaway et al, founded a personal management company called Innovative Talent, Inc., and produced the motion picture “Firewalker.”