Fairfield resident and attorney Alan Neigher knows a thing or two about entertainment and the entertainment industry.

The 78-year-old is the principal of Alan Neigher Attorney at Law in Westport, and has practiced for about four decades, specializing in media and entertainment law.

Neigher has been legal counsel on movie and entertainment sets, and has worked with numerous actors. He is also legal counsel, consultant and one of four executive producers of "Big Dogs," a gritty crime drama set in New York City.

The eight-part series is set to debut July 1 on Amazon Prime Direct and Tubi, a commercial streaming service. Each episode runs between 50 minutes and an hour.

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Showbiz life

Being in the limelight and surrounded by famous entertainers is nothing new to the attorney, the son of longtime Bridgeport entertainment and nightlife columnist Harry Neigher.

"I grew up in show business," the lawyer said. "[Former syndicated gossip columnist] Walter Winchell used to the call the house when I was a kid. I had pictures of Cary Grant and Duke Ellington with my dad, and Martha Raye and Sid Caesar were friends of my dad. … I grew up in the industry and I understood it. To me, it was not glamour, but rather a way of life."

That way of life led Neigher to represent screen writers for networks and studios. He said he represented the lead writer for the daytime soap opera "General Hospital," as well as for Comedy Central, when Jon Stewart hosted "The Daily Show." Neigher was also legal counsel for the movie "The Incredible Hulk" in the 1990s.

He said his latest role has been the most fascinating to date.

"Big Dogs" is based off of three police drama books. Neigher's involvement in the making of the upcoming crime drama began when Adam Dunn, creator of the series and author of the books, came to him for legal advice having to do with his first book, "Rivers of Gold," being pirated on Amazon.

"We started talking about what it takes to make a film series," Neigher said. "We talked and talked and talked and, finally, Adam said 'Let's do this."'

Neigher was a big part of the series. He worked closely with Dunn and, as legal counsel, helped write the contracts for the talent. Besides being one of the executive producers, he wrote two songs on the soundtrack and performed on the piano for the series.

"The storyline is terrific," Neigher said of the series, which was filmed in upstate Newburgh, New York as well as in New York City, where most of it takes place. "It's about a police precinct that's being attacked by politicians with chaos in the streets and a failing economy. There is a lot there that is relevant to today."

The show's stars, he said, include Brett Cullen, who was in the hit movie "Joker"; Michael Rabe, of "Homeland" fame; and veteran character actor Lance Henriksen.

Up next, Neigher said, are four more seasons of "Big Dogs," of which he'd like to be a part. The next season, if all goes well, will have 10 episodes, he said.

Neigher is a graduate of Colby College and Boston College Law School. He began his legal career doing criminal law and antitrust and trade regulation. He has been doing legal and contract work for the entertainment industry for decades. His media clients in Connecticut have included The Connecticut Post, the Hartford Courant. Cablevision News 12, Connecticut magazine and the state's ABC and NBC affiliates.

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