As Harvey Weinstein discussed this week the long divorce proceedings between Miramax and Disney, he was careful to single out Jim Wiatt as the man who kept the difficult negotiations on track.

Wiatt, the chief of the William Morris talent agency, "was instrumental in bringing both parties together and acted quietly and extremely judiciously", Weinstein gushed.

He also suggested that Wiatt could become the new Lew Wasserman in Hollywood.

"In Hollywood, at times a new power broker emerges, and that is the role Jim Wiatt from the William Morris Agency will play," Weinstein said.

The praise seemed especially well timed. William Morris has been losing some big clients lately due to the fallout from a New Yorker profile of agency president David Wirtschafter.

Wirtschafter’s comments about Sarah Michelle Gellar, Halle Berry and director Matthew Vaughn prompted them to seek representation elsewhere, though he has apologised for his remarks.

Weinstein’s kind words may help soothe the situation. Of course, scoring points with Hollywood’s newest power broker can’t hurt as Weinstein launches his newest media company.