Stanford MBA graduate Neil became enamored with Dr. Olivia Barber, but lost her to Nathan Hastings. Neil soon fell in love with Olivia's runaway sister Drucilla and supported her dance studies and helped save her from an unscrupulous photographer. Neil and Dru wed in the Chancellor mansion. Alas, the honeymoon didn't last long. Zonked out on cold medicine, Dru unwittingly invited Malcolm into her bed thinking that he was Neil. (In Malcolm's defense, he was unaware that Dru thought he was Neil.) Dru became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter whom she named after mother even though there was great friction between Dru and her mom.

Neil and Dru clashed over her career as a model. After Neil learned that Dru was secretly taking birth control pills, the couple split. Dru moved to Paris with Lily, leaving Neil behind to have ultimately unfulfilling romances with other women including Victoria Newman, Alex Perez and Serena. After his best friend Ryan McNeil was murdered and Malcolm was presumed dead, Neil turned to the bottle and became an alcoholic, which caused him to leave his position at Newman. Fortunately, Dru and a teen Lily returned to Genoa City to help Neil recover.

A sober Neil returned to Newman Enterprises and worked alongside Dru as the company prepared to take its Safra cosmetics line and battle Jabot's Tuvia products. Neil and Dru united as parents to help Lily, who was seduced by Internet predator Kevin Fisher. Lily grew closer to her parents at this time and was thrilled when they re-wed in a small but elegant ceremony in Japan. Next, Neil agreed to take in foster youth Devon Hamilton, much to Dru's delight. Neil had a life-threatening ordeal after Lily accidentally struck him with an SUV after the Winters clan rescued Devon, who'd become trapped in the local zoo. Malcolm insisted that he donate life-saving blood to Neil, in part, because he was afraid Lily might learn that her blood type would not match her dad's.

Neil recovered and chased after Lily to California when she ran away with Daniel after he was charged with Cassie's death. Neil brought Lily home. He and Dru sent Lily to boarding school to keep her away from Daniel. When she returned for a visit, Lily and Daniel eloped – much to Neil and Dru's chagrin. Lily, armed with the knowledge that Malcolm was her dad, blackmailed Dru into accepting her union with Daniel.

The truth soon came out when Lily revealed that Malcolm is her natural father. Devastated, Neil turned away from Dru, and drifted into an attraction to Carmen Mesta, a public relations consultant at Newman Enterprises. Carmen and Neil grew closer while Dru was out of town on a business trip, eventually sharing a kiss. Dru returned from her trip and, convinced that the two were having an affair, lashed out at Carmen. Neil was furious when Dru broke into Carmen's apartment and ripped up all of her clothes. However, when Carmen got a restraining order and pressed charges, Neil stood by his wife, albeit reluctantly.

Faced with Devon's near-deadly bout of meningitis and his resulting deafness, as well as the continuing crisis with Carmen, Neil and Dru are finding their way back to one another. When Carmen was found dead, their whole world threatened to unravel. Dru and Neil considered getting out of town. Eventually, Jana Hawkes was found to be Carmen's killer and Dru was cleared. Life settled and Dru went back to work. While on a photo shoot, held on a cliff-side, Dru came to her good friend Sharon Newman's aid when Phyllis threatened Sharon with extortion over her affair with Brad Carlton. There was a struggle and Dru and Sharon went over the side. Sharon was found alive, Dru was never found. Presumed dead, Neil struggles with the death of his wife. Lily's marriage is on the rocks thanks to Daniel's addiction to porn. The only one that seems to have it together is their adopted son Devon but he is hiding some not so brotherly feelings for Lily. Neil finds himself tempted to tip the bottle again but fights it off. His anger at Phyllis for being behind the loss of Dru is only equaled by Neil's resolve to keep his family together in their darkest hour.

Neil finally moved on with spunky Karen Taylor and they were wed on New Year's Eve. The couple are considering adopting Devon's sister Ana to keep her in the family but Devon's Aunt Tyra thinks she should be guardian. Throw in her growing attraction to Neil and there is trouble on the horizon...