Alexandra “Lexi” Sennet is an associate attorney in the Entertainment Litigation Practice Group in Tressler’s Los Angeles, California office. Before practicing law, Lexi spent more than a decade working inside the entertainment industry, including extensive on-set experience in film and television production, talent management, and live performance operations. Having grown up on set, she brings a lifelong familiarity with the realities of production environments. This firsthand operational background allows her to defend production-related claims with a practical understanding of how creative projects function from development through wrap, particularly in California-based matters involving on-set injuries, premises liability, and live event risks.

Where are you from?

I am from Hollywood, California, and I grew up in and around the entertainment industry. Film, television, comedy, and live entertainment were part of my world from an early age, so building a career in the industry—and now helping develop Tressler’s Entertainment Industry Litigation Practice—feels a little like coming full circle.

Lexi holding an Emmy award.

What was your first job?

My first job was as a background actor in the 1991 television movie Switched at Birth. I started working in entertainment before I was old enough to realize that being on a film set was not a typical first job!

Do you have any hidden talents and/or unique hobbies?

I can play the kazoo. Whether that qualifies as a musical talent or simply a very committed party trick probably depends on the audience.

Outside of work, I enjoy independent films, reading, swimming, exploring arts and culture, and spending time with my slightly unhinged rescue cat, who came from the streets of Hollywood and has never forgotten it.

What is on your bucket list?

I would love to stay in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights and then take a sleeper train through Scandinavia. Ideally, the trip would involve dramatic scenery, historic hotels, and pure relaxation.

Why did you decide to become an attorney?

I had always wanted to become an attorney, but my path was not a straight line. I attended Emerson College, where storytelling, film, and entertainment were central to the experience. After college, I began working as an assistant at a Hollywood talent agency. One opportunity led to another, and before I knew it, I had built a career spanning talent representation, film and television production, touring, and live entertainment.

When the entertainment industry paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, I finally had the opportunity to pursue the goal I had carried with me for years. I enrolled in law school, earned my J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law, and transitioned into litigation. It was the most challenging professional decision I have made—and also the best one.

Rockefeller Center.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

There really is no typical day, which is one of the things I love most about litigation. On any given day, I may be analyzing hundreds of pages of records, working with expert witnesses, preparing for a deposition, drafting a motion, developing discovery strategy, appearing in court, or advising clients and insurers regarding exposure, risk, and resolution.

My matters range from entertainment-related claims and insurance defense to medical malpractice, correctional healthcare, wrongful death, and other complex liability cases. In many ways, litigation resembles a production: there are countless moving parts, firm deadlines, strong personalities, and no room for missed cues. My job is to understand the entire operation, anticipate potential problems, and make sure everyone is prepared when it is time to perform.

What do you like most about Tressler?

Tressler does not stand still. The firm is collaborative, forward-thinking, and willing to build around the real-world experience its attorneys bring to the table.

The growth of our Entertainment Industry Litigation Practice Group is a perfect example. We are combining Tressler’s deep insurance and defense litigation experience with the knowledge of attorneys who understand how film, television, live entertainment, and related creative businesses actually operate. It is exciting to help develop a practice focused on defending entertainment companies, professionals, and insureds while helping insurers evaluate and resolve the unique risks that arise within the industry.

What are you most proud of, professionally and/or personally?

I am most proud of earning my law degree. Returning to school and beginning a new profession after more than a decade in entertainment required me to step away from a career and an identity I had spent years building.

Earning my J.D. reminded me that changing direction does not mean starting over. Everything I learned in my first career—how to communicate with different personalities, manage high-pressure situations, solve problems quickly, and understand the business behind a creative project—came with me. I did not leave that experience behind; I found a new way to use it.

What experience prior to your legal career best prepared you for the unpredictable nature of litigation?

My work took me from agency and management offices to film and television sets, live comedy venues and touring productions. I spent four months filming on location in Halifax, Canada, and months on the road supporting live comedy shows.

Working with comedians was particularly unpredictable—in comedy, even the office could become part of the act. I occasionally received middle-of-the-night calls claiming someone was in jail and needed me to arrange bail, only to discover that I was the target of an elaborate prank. That career taught me to remain calm, ask the right questions, and never assume the first version of a story is the whole story. Those lessons are just as valuable in litigation as they were in Hollywood, California.

Nickelodeon’s Double Dare Holiday Week set.

Lip Sync Battle green room.

Alexandra “Lexi” Sennet can be reached at asennet@tresslerllp.com.