Casey Higgins and Ed Pagano Named NLJ Entertainment Trailblazers
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Akin Gump is pleased to share that Akin Gump public law and policy senior policy advisor Casey Higgins and partner Ed Pagano have been recognized in The National Law Journal’s series of Entertainment Trailblazers.
Ms. Higgins and Mr. Pagano were recognized for their efforts on behalf of National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), whose advocacy work led Congress to the passage of the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act. Passed in December, the legislation, ultimately known as the Shuttered Venue Operator Grant program, provided $16 billion in grants to live entertainment venues, performing arts centers and movie theaters to survive the shutdown. Earlier this week, NIVA was recognized at the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony for these efforts.
In the profile, the lawyers discuss their approach to securing bipartisan support for this critical funding, which ensured the survival of these industries, noting, “our messaging focused on the economic impact of the arts not only in big cities, but also in small towns across America. This branding of arts as an economic engine successfully aided in establishing unprecedented bipartisan support for government funding of the arts.”
Looking to the future, Ms. Higgins and Mr. Pagano believe that this effort will lay a “strong foundation for future bipartisan support for the arts.”
Earlier this year, Ms. Higgins and Mr. Pagano were named to Billboard magazine’s 2021 Top Music Lawyers list (learn more here).
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
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