Amy Nickin

Amy Nickin is partner to our Entertainment Group, representing actors, writers, directors, comics, on-air personalities and television production companies in all business and legal aspects of their film, television and theatrical careers and businesses.

A leading advisor to high-profile talent, The Hollywood Reporter has included Ms. Nickin in their "Power Lawyers" list consecutively for the past several years. Variety included her in their 2024, 2018 and 2014 "Legal Impact Report" and their 2010 "Dealmakers Impact Report." The Legal 500 recognizes her as a top media and entertainment lawyer and she has also been recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a New York-area "Super Lawyer" in the field of entertainment and sports. Best Lawyers in America included Ms. Nickin in their 2024-2025 rankings for Entertainment Law - Motion Pictures and Television. 

Her current clients include Allison Williams, star and executive producer of M3GAN; Ian Brennan, co-creator of Glee and Netflix dramas The Watcher and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story; Erik Jendresen, co-writer of Mission Impossible 7 and the upcoming Mission Impossible 8; John Goodman, star of Connors and Righteous Gemstones; as well as many others. 

Amy is on the Board of Directors of Horizons National. She is admitted to practice law in both California and New York.

awards & recognition

New York-area Super Lawyer in entertainment and sports

The Hollywood Reporter's Power Lawyers: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys 

Variety’s Legal Impact Report: Top Entertainment Lawyer

The Legal 500: Media and Entertainment

Best Lawyers in America

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

Past Speaking Engagements

news & press

Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers (2025)

Lawdragon recognizes twenty Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in its 500 Leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyers guide for 2025. View Article

The Best Lawyers in America 2025

Best Lawyers in America recognizes 48 Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in the 2025 edition. Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit in The Legal 500 2024

The Legal 500 praises four of our practice groups in 2024: Advertising & Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Advertising & Marketing (Litigation), and Cyber Law (Data Privacy & Data Protection). The London-based directory spotlighted thirty of our attorneys individually. Read more.

Power Lawyers 2024: Meet Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter includes Amy Nickin in its Power Lawyers 2024: Hollywood's Top 100 Attorneys list. View Article

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2024: Meet Hollywood’s Top Entertainment Attorneys

Variety’s Legal Impact Report 2024 includes Marcie Cleary, Andrew Hurwitz, and Amy Nickin. View Article

The Best Lawyers in America 2024

Best Lawyers in America recognizes 44 Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in the 2024 edition. Read more.

Frankfurt Kurnit in The Legal 500 2023

The Legal 500 once again praises Frankfurt Kurnit practice groups and attorneys in the 2023 edition of their United States guide. Read more.

Power Lawyers 2023: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter includes Andrew Hurwitz and Amy Nickin in its Power Lawyers 2023: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys list. View Article

Amazon Picks Up Awkwafina and Karen Gillan Action Comedy ‘Shelly’

TheWrap mentions Amy Nickin as counsel to Liz Storm who co-wrote the script for action comedy “Shelly” which was acquired by Amazon Studios. View Article

More Than 2,000 Women Partners Issue Call to Action Post-‘Dobbs’

Partners Victoria Cook, Lisa E. Davis, Caren Decter, Catherine Farrelly, Julie Murray, Amy Nickin, Terri Seligman, Hannah Taylor, and Linda Wank signed a letter, and call to action, in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. (Behind paywall) View Article

Frankfurt Kurnit in The Legal 500 2022

The Legal 500 once again praises Frankfurt Kurnit practice groups and attorneys in the 2022 edition of their United States guide. Read more.

‘Ironheart’: Sam Bailey & Angela Barnes Tapped To Direct Disney+’s Marvel Series

Deadline, Animated Times, and Young Gazzate mention Amy Nickin as counsel to Sam Bailey, who is one of the directors on the creative team of "Ironheart", Marvel’s Disney+ series featuring the Iron Man-adjacent character. View Article

Power Lawyers 2022: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter includes Amy Nickin in their Power Lawyers 2022 list of Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys. Read more.

‘The Cathedral’: First Look at Brian D’Arcy James and Monica Barbaro

Variety mentions Amy Nickin as counsel to Brian D’Arcy James who stars in the film “The Cathedral." View Article

Wiip Partners With Todd McFarlane To Develop ‘Sam And Twitch’ Series Based On ‘Spawn’ Comic Book Characters

Deadline mentions Amy Nickin as counsel to Jason Smilovic who will serve as an executive producer of the series “Sam and Twitch.” View Article

Power Lawyers 2021: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter included Amy Nickin in its Power Lawyers 2021: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys list. View Article

Jennifer Lopez Netflix Pic ‘The Cipher’: Scribes Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg Adapting Isabella Maldonado Novel

Deadline mentions Amy Nickin as counsel to Jason Smilovic. View Article

Power Lawyers 2019: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter included Amy Nickin in its Power Lawyers 2019: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys list. View Article

Power Lawyers 2018: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys

The Hollywood Reporter included Amy Nickin in its Power Lawyers 2018: Hollywood’s Top 100 Attorneys list. View Article

2018 Variety Legal Impact Report

Variety lists Amy Nickin as a top entertainment lawyer in its 2018 Legal Impact Report. The report spotlights the leading attorneys in the entertainment industry over the past year. View Article

CAA Signs ‘Assassin’s Creed’ Scribe Michael Lesslie

The Hollywood Reporter mentions Richard B. Heller and Amy Nickin as attorneys for screenwriter and playwright Michael Lesslie who will serve as showrunner and executive producer on BBC and AMC’s upcoming limited series ‘Little Drummer Girl.’ View Article

Method Man Joins ‘Shaft’ Reboot

The Hollywood Reporter mentions Amy Nickin as attorney for Cliff “Method Man” Smith, who has been added to New Line Cinema’s reboot of the 1970s action movie. View Article

Broadcasting & Cable’s Dealmakers Special Report

Amy Nickin was one of only four lawyers selected in a group of top lawyers, agents, and managers for Broadcasting & Cable's special report. View Article

Variety Legal Impact Report

Variety listed Amy Nickin in their 2014 "Legal Impact Report". View Article

James Wolk To Co-Star In David E. Kelley CBS Comedy Pilot

Deadline listed Amy Nickin as counsel to James Wolk in his deal to co-star in Crazy Ones on CBS. View Article

Nine Frankfurt Kurnit Women Honored As “Super Lawyers”

Nine Frankfurt Kurnit women appeared in The New York Times Magazine’s women "Super Lawyers" list for 2012. The list appeared on December 30th in a special section devoted to women attorneys in the New York metropolitan area. Read more.

Seventeen Frankfurt Kurnit Attorneys Named 2011 New York-Area “Super Lawyers”

Super Lawyers named seventeen Frankfurt Kurnit attorneys in its 2011 edition. Read more.

Gender Balance in Entertainment Law

Variety quoted Amy Nickin on her views of attorneys who are trying to balance the demands of a family and legal career. View Article

Amy Nickin in The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter reported that Warner Bros. recently picked up "The Architect," a thriller written by Amy Nickin's client, Jason Smilovic.

Variety’s Dealmakers Impact Report 2010

Amy Nickin and Michael Williams were listed in Variety's Dealmakers Impact Report for 2010 as "Future Media Mavens." View Article

Bradley Whitford Returns to “Duty”

The Hollywood Reporter recognized Amy Nickin as the lawyer for actor Bradley Whitford in his deal to return as star and producer of the comedy pilot "Off Duty". View Article

Amy Nickin Promoted to Partner

Crain in its "Executive Moves" column, Variety in its "Executive Shuffle" column, and The New York Law Journal in its "News in Brief" column all mentioned Amy Nickin's promotion to Partner in Frankfurt Kurnit's Entertainment Group.

Jason Smilovic’s Seven-Figure NBC Deal

The Hollywood Reporter recognized Amy Nickin as the attorney who closed a seven-figure deal for Jason Smilovic with NBC Universal Television Studio in its "Industry Dealflow" column of the May 29 - June 11, 2007 edition.

Industry Dealflow

The Hollywood Reporter listed Amy Nickin as counsel to John Goodman in the column "Industry Dealflow".