Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, Lavery attended Williston Northampton School, served in the United States Army from 1945 until 1946, and graduated from UCLA in 1950.
In 1965, Lavery became director of business affairs for 20th Century Fox Television.
Two years later, he became Paramount Television's vice president of business affairs.
[3] Lavery formed Emmet G. Lavery Jr. Productions in 1975 and produced several television films, including Delancey Street: The Crisis Within (1975), Nero Wolfe (1977), The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978) and Act of Violence (1979).
[1] Lavery joined DLT Entertainment as vice president of business affairs in 1981, remaining in that position until retiring in 2010.