All the world's a stage

As founder of Nevin Law Group, Nevin serves clients in many facets of the entertainment industry, representing the gamut of creatives from artists, directors, and producers to other talent integral to any production, like composers and lyricists, and choreographers and designers. Although the firm serves clients in film and television, Nevin has built his practice and his reputation as go-to production counsel within the Broadway — and the larger theater — community.

“I believe in using art to communicate, to open minds, and to find a common connection between human beings,” Nevin explains. “American theater — especially American drama — has long been a mirror of our society by reflecting what is happening in the culture at any given moment. And not only reflecting what exists, but also helping to drive change.”

Effecting change is precisely what attracts Nevin to the arts — and why he chose this particular legal specialty. “I’m a long-time fan of the power of American theater and, after nearly seven years of experience at a large law firm in New York City, New York, I started wondering what sort of work would really speak to me,” Nevin says. “To me, American theater drama and musicals are two of the best exports this country gives to the world, and the idea of using my skillset to both advocate for and further the cause of the arts is the primary reason I created Nevin Law Group.”

So, how does an attorney specializing in entertainment law wind up with two Tony Award nominations as producer for a pair of lauded Broadway plays? An avid theater fan, Nevin made his producorial debut in May 2005 in New York with August Strindberg’s Miss Julie while still at Emory University School of Law, followed shortly thereafter with two Broadway hits, The Little Dog Laughed (2006) by Douglas Carter Beane and reasons to be pretty (2009) by Neil LaBute — both of which earned Nevin those prestigious nominations.

“Theater is a living, breathing thing that happens in front of a live audience,” Nevin reflects. “The exciting aspect of theater is also its challenge in that it is ephemeral. It’s here now for its run and then, essentially, it goes away, so the stakes are very high. But I find it invigorating even though it can be a bit headspinning at the same time!”

Given his insider’s understanding of the nature of the entertainment industry, Nevin brings a unique perspective into every client relationship — an approach he says is very similar to the storytelling that plays out on stage. “Any lawyer’s role is to advocate for their client through explaining the legal framework that exists which impacts what that client is working on,” Nevin explains. “Just as we use the law as a roadmap to navigate key aspects of the work — the finding of the material, the acquisition of rights, and securing the financing necessary to develop the material — a producer also advocates for the story they’re trying to tell. As someone with experience on both sides, when we represent a client, I feel like I’m advocating for the art form.”

For Nevin, part of the thrill of following his passion for the arts is serving clients developing works with a profound cultural impact, forcing audiences to confront their own perceptions and ideals, asking tough questions, and exposing the difficult realities of our nation’s history that last far beyond the final showing.

Heidi Schreck’s What the Constitution Means to Me, which premiered on Broadway in March of last year, tells the powerful story of four generations of women in the playwright’s family and how America’s founding document determined each woman’s rights and citizenship. It was nominated for Best Play in the 73rd Tony Awards, and was a finalist for the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

And early in the 2019–2020 season, Jeremy O. Harris’s critically-acclaimed Slave Play is a sensation for its provocative exploration of the role the history of slavery in America still plays in terms of sex and power between interracial partnerships.

“We were production counsel on these productions — both of which have had remarkable cultural impact and have changed our perception of the types of works that can be successful on Broadway,” says Nevin. “We’re currently working on a number of musicals that I hope will have the same impact, including Carson Kreitzer’s and Matt Gould’s Lempicka, which is the story of aristocrat-turned-acclaimed artist Tamara de Lempicka, and Gun & Powder by Angelica Chéri and Ross Baum, about the Wild West legends Mary and Martha Clarke. Other musicals include a stage adaptation of the motion picture The Visitor by Thomas McCarthy and the new Avett Brothers and John Logan musical Swept Away.”

If, as the Bard wrote, “All the men and women are merely players” on the world’s stage, how do artists make the most of the time and the impact of great storytelling, which only exist as long as a work’s run? “One of the biggest challenges I deal with — both as an attorney and a producer — is figuring out how to maximize the value of the content we’re producing and bring it to a wider audience,” Nevin reflects.

“Live capture is a good example of a solution — filming productions for broadcast or for distribution. The increase of live television musicals as well as more plays and musicals being turned into motion pictures, and the way musical theater has been coursing through episodic television again in a way it hasn’t for a while. These are the challenges we tackle, which, for me, makes this an exciting time to be in this medium!”