LOS ANGELES, CA – Hollywood like everything else in this world is all about connecting with people, working with others and agreeing to creative vision equally. Unfortunately, like all things in life, it can also be very cutthroat and unforgiving.
In an industry where multi-billion-dollar franchise deals are agreed to with a handshake and exquisite dinner and also broken on a personal affront or misunderstanding. Working in and around Hollywood can be both a dizzying, and at times, complex occupational hazard.
If you have seen HBO’s hit dramedy, ‘Entourage’ which follows the life of rising actor Vinny Chase and his close group of friends from Queens, and witnesses the epic battles between Chase’s manager, Eric Murphy (Kevin Connelly) with their Hollywood super agent, Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven), you will get arguably the closet taste of what it’s like to live and die that next big break and a big payday.
Seeing the sharp-talking and uber-aggressive Gold navigate Hollywood in dealing with studio heads, directors, actors and big-money entertainment attorneys is just another day in SoCal.
Thankfully, in real life, Tre Lovell of the Los Angeles-area based Lovell Firm is as sharp as they come and knows how to cut through the glitz and glamour on behalf of his clients.
A practicing attorney in the areas of business, entertainment, intellectual property, employment and corporate Law as well as general civil litigation with over 20 years of experience, Lovell is one of the top attorneys not only in entertainment, but also the country, as having been named Lawyer of the Year, Finalist, 2016, by the Los Angeles Business Journal, and further honored by The National Law Journal as one of the Top 50 Litigation Trailblazers in the country.
Mr. Lovell has been recognized among the top 1% of attorneys in the United States as a litigator through such esteemed organizations as the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Rue’s Best Attorneys of America and the Trial Lawyers Board of Regents.
Mr. Lovell recently received the 2014 Litigator Award for extraordinary litigation achievement, an award given to less that 1% of attorneys in the U.S. and approximately 12 firms per state or DMA each year. Mr. Lovell was further profiled in Forbes Magazine in September, 2014, per his official website.
The recipient of a B.A. from Pomona College and a J.D. at the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law, Lovell has successfully represented and won some high profile cases such as:
- Aleo v. Elliott: $200,000,000 Fraud Scheme, The Lovell Firm represented 144 victims in international fraud scam.
- Slagle v. A&E Networks, The Lovell Firm represented Daun Slagle in defamation action regarding A&E’s movie The Happy Face Killer.
- Martinez v. MGM, et.al., The Lovell Firm represented Rachel Martinez in defamation case against MGM regarding the movie American Pimp.
- Scott v. 3d Realms, et.al., The Lovell Firm represents Darin Scott in copyright infringement against 3D Realms, the Nuke Dukem video game publisher, regarding the Earth No More property.
Licensed to practice law in both his native California (SBN 162806) and Nevada (SBN 5055), outside of practicing law, Lovell earned a gold medal national championship and black belt as a martial arts instructor.
Whether he is in boardrooms arguing on behalf of his clients, or living large as one of Hollywood’s top legal eagles, the dashing and handsome Lovell is a lawyer you want on your side, as opposing to having to face him in court.
Below, I catch up with Mr Lovell, Esq out in Los Angeles as we talk, Hollywood, dealing with QAnon in Hollywood, #MeToo and how to best deal with today’s cancel culture.
Who Is He?
Tre Lovell, Esq.
THE LOVELL FIRM, P.C.
1875 Century Park East, Ste. 1490
Century City, CA 90067
Tel: 310-275-2100
Fax: 310-275-2895
Website: www.lovellfirm.com
Social Media: FACEBOOK: The Lovell Firm – https://www.facebook.com/lovellfirm
Greetings from Cleveland! Thank you for taking the time to chat with us here at INSCMagazine. How’s things out there in Los Angeles?
Things are good in some ways and challenging in other ways here in Los Angeles. The lock downs and closing of businesses have made it extremely difficult for the small to mid-size business owner, and to put burdens on the entertainment industry. I am very excited to get beyond the current pandemic and return to normalcy as best we can.
What are your thoughts on the recent Insurrection that happened at the Capitol? How do you feel this will affect us as a country and nation going forward?
The insurrection was heart breaking and heart rattling, as there were so many failures on so many levels. I think that, as a country, we will get by it and learn from it. From a more general standpoint, security at The Capitol, as well as in other parts of the country (Seattle, Portland), has been fully compromised and embarrassingly deficient.
Hollywood is now for being a bastion of liberalism and progressive views, do you feel that the current divide within our country may affect some clients of yours due to politics?
Yes, I do. I believe that the most pervasive form of discrimination nowadays is political discrimination. Declining to hire, declining to do business with, declining to sell goods or perform services to those who one doesn’t agree with their politics is real. It’s happening, and it needs to stop. We need both congressional and state laws that include political discrimination as a protected class of discrimination and forbid it. It is so unfair and unjust for someone not to be able to pursue their livelihood or feed their family, based on who they voted for.
Do you feel that QAnon and its vast web of conspiracies has already embedded itself into Hollywood?
Not necessarily. I think Hollywood knows of the theories, but doesn’t grant (them) much credibility to it.
What is it like being one of the most powerful attorneys in entertainment and representing some of the biggest A-listers in the industry?
Well, my practice in entertainment is very diversified. Much of my representation is on behalf of the average person against the networks, production companies, studios, record labels, etc. The entertainment industry is amazing on certain levels, and can be very unfair on others. It’s a constant David vs. Goliath situation, and I love representing the “David”!
Due to privacy laws and attorney-client privilege laws, I know you’re not allowed to comment on current clients, etc. Let me ask you this, what are your thoughts on some of the biggest Hollywood celebs such as Johnny Depp and most recently Evan Rachel Wood being involved in sexual abuse.
I’m going to refrain from commenting on either of these situations.
From a general perspective, sexual abuse was prevalent and unchallenged in Hollywood for decades. Hollywood is the one industry where you don’t need a resume, a degree, work experience, etc. to get a job. It’s subjective and anyone can be cast, engaged, hired or fired. The subjectivity of hiring and working with people was what created and fostered the world of abuse. Very fortunately, the Weinstein era and #MeToo movement exposed it and resulted in amazing protections for those getting abused, and similarly, monitor for and prevent future abuse. It’s come a long way!
However, like everything else, the movement can be manipulated and fear can unfavorably drive decision-making. We began to see people, mostly men,, in high levels at their places of business, who were accused of sexual abuse, immediately terminated or fired without any form of investigation or cause. The mere allegation scared so many employers and companies that rather than take the time to investigate the merits of any claim, they simply fired these people to avoid the negative pr, making it impossible for them to pursue their livelihood. Protections also need to be in place that before you fire someone based upon allegations of harassment or sexual abuse, there must be an investigation and support for the claims. A failure to do that and simply act on unsupported claims should be actionable.
Do you feel that with A-list celebs getting in the headlines for various things, that there is a culture and enablement-like attitude in the industry?
Yes. A-listers have a platform and a voice that most other people don’t have. They can effect change, but they can also get into trouble and create problems for themselves and their careers. I never like to see a-listers voicing political ideology at entertainment events. I want to keep the entertainment events, awards shows, etc. Pure and cleansed from that and a place to just focus on the work, achievements, abilities and worthiness of those in the industry. It just lowers the whole experience when these events are tainted with political ideology that invade upon the entertainment “sanctuary”.
Do you feel that “cancel culture” could potentially hinder a lot of future cases coming forward?
Cancel culture is one of the biggest problems today and needs to be addressed and stopped. “Canceling” anyone based upon their views is absolutely disgusting. In particular, social media has risen to the level of power where it needs to be regulated, and section 230 of the communications decency act needs to be reformed. Censoring or removing a profile or account based upon opinion speech must have consequences.
Any final and closing thoughts on the current issues in Hollywood and the industry?
Hollywood and the entertainment industry are a wonderful area in which to practice law, and I look forward to making a huge difference in the legal side of the business. Reforming deficient laws, redressing unfairness and preserving the magic of Hollywood is a true honor, one of which I don’t take for granted and will always fight to do.
Special thanks to Tre Lovell, Esq and Brittany Scott from our friends over at Garis Media & Talent Group for their time and assistance in working on this feature.