ZA/UM Reaches Settlement in Legal Dispute with Former Producer Kaur Kender

Following an update on Thursday, March 23, ZA/UM studio responded to comments made by Robert Kurvitz and Sander Taal. The studio reaffirmed that Kender acknowledged his lawsuit was misguided and, as a result, paid the legal fees for CEO Ilmar Kompus. ZA/UM emphasized that the actual harm to the studio stems not from alleged 'looting' but from Kurvitz and Taal's actions while employed, including refusing to work, creating a toxic environment, and attempting to misappropriate studio IP. The studio welcomes Kurvitz and Taal to challenge these facts in court. In a previous update on Thursday, March 16, Kurvitz and Taal described the matter as 'deeply misleading' and claimed they are minority shareholders. They stated their employment claims were not withdrawn due to lack of evidence but rather as part of a larger campaign against them. Kurvitz and Taal disputed Kender's admission that his lawsuit was misguided, citing the misuse of €4.8 million in studio funds by majority shareholders Ilmar Kompus and Tõnis Haavel. They argued that repaying the funds does not rectify the situation. The dispute began with the resolution of the legal issue between ZA/UM and former producer Kaur Kender, who repaid all debts to the studio and divested his shares. Kender expressed gratitude for his time working with the team and acknowledged that his lawsuit was misguided after reviewing the facts.