Severance with Scott Hervey

About this episode

Lee and entertainment attorney Scott Hervey discuss the legal and ethical questions raised by the show Severance.

On today’s episode of Objection! You're Fiction , Lee takes a detour from the standard dystopia of contracts and closings to the exciting dystopia of Lumon and Kier, with entertainment attorney Scott Hervey of Weintraub Tobin. Scott’s one of the legal minds working with Apple TV+ , publishers of the hit Severance. Together, they dive deep into the many legal and ethical questions the show raises. From employment contracts that would make any HR department sweat to IP ownership issues (what happens when your innie invents something brilliant?), Lee and Scott explore what Severance might look like if it landed in a courtroom. Can the outie consent on behalf of the innie ? Is a severed worker entitled to wages, or even habeas corpus? (Yes, that comes up.) It’s a wide-ranging conversation on consent, copyright, trade secrets, labor law, and the terrifying brilliance of fictional workplace architecture. Plus, Scott gives a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like doing legal work for a mind-bending show like Severance , and how the legal team balances clearance concerns with creative storytelling. Whether you're a lawyer, a Severance superfan, or just love a good thought experiment…

People in this episode

Host: Lee

Guest: Scott Hervey

Topics covered

• legal issues
• employment contracts
• intellectual property
• workplace rights
• creative storytelling

Keywords

• Severance
• employment contracts
• intellectual property
• labor law
• workplace rights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Weintraub Tobin, Apple TV+, IP Law Blog, BFKP Productions, bflawoffice.com

Books & works: Severance

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