Hingham Resident Provides Pro Bono Legal Counsel to Nonprofit

Jay Fee, a partner at prominent national law firm Nelson Mullins and a Hingham resident, has partnered with the Boston Arts Academy Foundation (BAA Foundation) to provide legal support and counsel to the nonprofit organization. The pro bono work helps enable the BAA Foundation to raise critical funding for the Boston Arts Academy (BAA), the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts.

“Soon after I was introduced to the Boston Arts Academy and its remarkable students, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get involved in this unique and innovative school,” said Fee. “The BAA Foundation’s commitment to the betterment of students who long to pursue careers in the arts is unparalleled. Our partnership with the Foundation helps accomplish its mission of ensuring a high-quality, arts-intensive education for all Boston students who desire it. I take pride in knowing our work plays a small role in helping those students realize their creative aspirations.”

Fee concentrates his practice in sports business law and is chair of the sports law group at Nelson Mullins, a diversified law firm with more than 800 attorneys, policy advisors and professionals nationwide. Fee’s group serves colleges and universities, corporations, professional sports franchises, sponsors, and developers. His work typically focuses on aiding organizations with naming rights agreements, including for professional sports stadiums and arenas.

Through his pro bono work, Fee assists the BAA Foundation with legal counsel and advice on a variety of business, financial, governance and operational matters. This expertise is especially valued by the BAA Foundation as it anticipates the opening of a brand-new BAA facility in the Fenway neighborhood, which is currently under construction and expected to open in January 2022. Fee is also playing an integral role in the Foundation’s Building Our Future campaign, a six-year effort to raise $32 million to augment BAA’s budget and build long-term sustainability.

“This is one of the most exciting periods in BAA’s 22-year history,” said Denella Clark, president of the BAA Foundation. “To have the support of a top-tier law firm like Nelson Mullins only strengthens our ability to help deliver world-class instruction to BAA’s uniquely talented students. We hope other Boston-area businesses will emulate Nelson Mullins’ commitment to giving back to nonprofit groups that strengthen the character of our community.”

About Boston Arts Academy Foundation

Established in 1999, the BAA Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization that raises essential funds from private philanthropic sources to augment the BAA school budget. The BAA Foundation helps bridge the gap between the school’s allocation from the Boston Public Schools, and the true cost of a high-quality education that is both arts-intensive and college preparatory.

Construction of the new BAA school building will not change BPS’s funding formula, which supports BAA’s academic offerings. Through the six-year, comprehensive Building Our Future campaign, the BAA Foundation is raising $32 million to augment BAA’s school budget and ensure long-term sustainability. The campaign includes raising $10 million to bring the BAA Foundation endowment to $13.5 million, and to secure $15.5 million in operating reserves. The endowment and reserves will support what makes BAA unique, including expanded programming, the Health and Wellness Program, STEAM (STEM+Art), and funding for the arts. The endowment will also support college scholarships for graduating seniors. The campaign will support BAA Foundation’s Annual Fund, which raises $5,000 per student each year. Building Our Future will ensure that as BAA’s student body grows, students can become successful artists, scholars and citizens.

About Boston Arts Academy

Founded in 1998 as the city’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts, Boston Arts Academy (BAA) has distinguished itself among urban public high schools as a leader in innovative and effective student-centered education. Consistently recognized locally and nationally for its achievements, BAA exemplifies the power of an arts-rich education and many BAA graduates have found success in college through the arts. In fact, for the past six years, at least 96 percent of BAA graduates have been accepted to college, with most being first-generation college attendees. BAA’s dynamic program prepares graduates to be critical thinkers, effective communicators, collaborators and creators. Students come from all 23 Boston neighborhoods to receive the formal arts training and academic instruction that will make them Boston’s next generation of artists and cultural leaders.

In October 2018, the BAA community broke ground on a new $125 million facility at its Fenway location, which will expand from 121,000 square feet to 153,500 square feet upon its completion, projected for January 2022. Among many highlights, it will include new and much-needed enhanced theatres, career center, academic classrooms, dance studios, music practice rooms and fashion technology studios and workspace. When BAA opens its new school building, the number of students enrolled will increase to 500, and eventually grow over the years.