In a landscape where fiery characters often reign, Nancy Bruington ’01 has forged a reputation for something different. As longtime mentor and colleague Joe Calabrese ’81 puts it, “In an industry known for loud talkers and aggressive personalities, Nancy has established a sterling reputation for her thoughtful style and effective advocacy. She may not be the loudest person in the room, but she is usually the smartest.”
A partner at Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles, Bruington co-leads some of the most sophisticated entertainment and sports transactions in the business. Behind the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, she and her colleagues in the firm’s Century City office hammer out the details of high-stakes deals that fuel the entertainment industry—from mergers and acquisitions and corporate financing transactions to studio slate financings, co-productions arrangements, and multiplatform content distribution and rights licensing.
“It’s rewarding to help bring stories to life and to work with people who are passionate about what they do,” says Bruington. She has worked on multi-billion-dollar joint ventures, high-profile studio mergers, and complex financings involving leading streaming platforms and global content companies. Her clients include major studios, independent producers, media startups, global financial institutions, and private-equity firms seeking to invest in the entertainment and sports sectors.
Despite working at the heart of the entertainment industry, most of Bruington’s work is far removed from the celebrity side of the business. “You spend the bulk of your time dealing with CEOs, CFOs, and outside investors,” she explains. Still, the occasional perk of proximity to Hollywood remains. “Every so often, that world opens up to you, and clients will invite us to premieres and red-carpet events.”
Early in her career as an entertainment attorney, Bruington had a memorable encounter with Tom Cruise while working on a deal for MGM. The studio was restarting its United Artists label in partnership with Cruise and his producing partner.
“It was quite a complex transaction where we were raising capital and negotiating commercial arrangements. There was a meeting with potential investors, and Tom Cruise came to speak to the group. Afterwards, there was a small reception, and I got to speak with him. I was just a year into my career as an entertainment lawyer and had never experienced anything like it—and I have yet to since. There I was, sitting on a patio in Century City, Los Angeles, talking to Tom Cruise. I couldn’t believe it.”
Her path to this niche practice began in Myron Taylor Hall, where she developed the skills and connections that would shape the rest of her career. “Cornell was incredibly formative for me both personally and professionally. I met some of my dearest friends there.”
Bruington recalls several professors and classes that left a lasting impression. “Well, I still have nightmares about my Contracts class with Professor Summers,” she jokes. “His way of employing the Socratic method was very intimidating and kept me on my toes.” Despite the challenge, the experience proved invaluable. “Contracts is foundational to what I do every day, so that was a really important class.”
She also remembers the late Professor Ted Eisenberg with great fondness. “He taught my federal taxation and bankruptcy classes, and I loved his classes so much that I thought I wanted to be a tax lawyer. But then once I actually started doing tax work after law school, I learned that it wasn’t for me. Turns out I just liked Professor Eisenberg and thought he was really great at introducing material and explaining it so well.”
Before moving to Los Angeles for personal reasons, Bruington worked as a finance lawyer in New York. “I started my career at Cahill Gordon in New York where I did mostly leveraged finance and capital markets work. It was a great training ground,” she says.
Two mentors played a pivotal role in her development once she relocated to L.A.: Stephen Scharf and Joe Calabrese. “Stephen Scharf was a senior partner in the entertainment, sports, and media group at O’Melveny & Myers, where I worked when I first moved to L.A.,” Bruington says. “Stephen was a brilliant attorney and taught me so much about the entertainment business and practice of law. He passed away in 2018 and I still miss working with him very much.”
The other major influence, Calabrese, “was the long-time chair of our global entertainment, sports, and media practice group at O’Melveny and later at Latham,” she explains. “He has played a pivotal role in my career and remains a guiding force. He is also a brilliant lawyer and tactician who is incredibly devoted to his family. The best lesson I learned from Joe is the value of cultivating relationships in work and life.” She adds, “Joe is also great with a turn of phrase. ‘You can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up’ will always stay with me.”
Calabrese remembers Bruington’s early promise clearly. “She is an incredibly thoughtful lawyer. She processes things thoroughly before offering advice, which makes her very effective,” he says. “She wasn’t dazzled by the industry, which a lot of people are. She respected it and was interested in it, but she wasn’t distracted by the glamor.” That discernment translated into client trust. “Nancy was not just a solid lawyer—she was excellent with clients. She gained their trust quickly because she was so steady and smart.” What made her stand out? “She listened. That’s rare. And she never took shortcuts, which is even rarer.”
At Latham, Bruington is also known as a mentor and leader, deeply invested in cultivating talent and community within the firm. “I think it’s really important to pay it forward, because I wouldn’t be where I am without the people who took the time to invest in me,” she says. In May 2024, she hosted a Cornell Law Admitted Students Day at Latham’s Century City office, introducing prospective students to the school that launched her career. “Cornell provided me with incredible personal and professional opportunities, so it was gratifying to be able to connect with the next generation of Cornellians and share stories about my own time in Ithaca,” she says.
“For a lot of these students, this is their first visit inside a big law firm, first time speaking with a partner or attorney in a firm, and first chance to see what being a lawyer might be like. It’s an extremely valuable experience,” says Michael Cummings, assistant dean of admissions, who comoderated the event at Latham. “Although having the space for an admitted student event at a firm is important, having alumni like Nancy, who are generous with their time and willing to speak with students, is the real value.” Cummings noted that he and Nancy moderated an almost two-hour discussion led by the students in which Nancy answered question after question about her experiences. “She was gracious with her time, honest and thoughtful in her answers, and inspiring for all the future lawyers in the room,” he said.
Bruington balances her demanding practice with raising three children, ages fifteen, twelve, and five, with her husband, Jason Silvera, who is also a partner at Latham. “It’s definitely a juggling act,” she says, “but I’m lucky to have a supportive partner and great colleagues.”
For Bruington, the work is as much about human connection as it is about legal precision. And that, she says, is a lesson she’s never forgotten. Whether navigating billion-dollar deals or mentoring the next generation of lawyers, Bruington exemplifies a steady, thoughtful approach—one that elevates not only her clients, but also her colleagues, her firm, and her profession.
~Chris Brouwer
