United Talent Agency (also known as UTA)

Size: 3,000+ clients; 500 employees (200 agents, 46 partners); offices in L.A. and New York

Origin story: Founded in 1991 with the merger of Bauer-Benedek and Leading Artists.

Board of directors: Managing directors David Kramer, Jay Sures and Jeremy Zimmer (CEO); chairman Jim Berkus; co-founder Peter Benedek; Tracey Jacobs and Matt Rice; special adviser Jason Heyman

Signature clients: Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Channing Tatum, Joel and Ethan Coen, Chris Pratt and Judd Apatow

Recent moves: UTA steadily has grown via the traditional emphasis on talent representation and film/TV packaging. While it has no outside financial backer or pricey sports division, it does engage in outside-the-box ventures, such as United Entertainment Group, the marketing agency it co-owns with Jarrod Moses and DJE Holdings; UTA Venture Fund, through which it continues to be at the forefront of Hollywood's digital initiatives; and the in-house UTA Brand Studio.

But the agency has cultivated stars ever since Jacobs arrived from ICM in 1998, bringing Depp with her. The 2014 pickup of New York-based N.S. Bienstock has made UTA the top broadcast news agency, with such talents as Bill O'Reilly and Robin Roberts, and in February it launched a fine arts division.

However, it's the CAA Exodus that has shaken up the status quo. The April addition of a dozen comedy agents, two coordinators and hundreds of clients, including Pratt, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis — plus, separately, Chuck Lorre in May — could have UTA laughing all the way to the bank.