Expertise
Consolidated Knowledge
The art world is a sophisticated business – international, highly specialised and multi-faceted. It involves a variety of players, including collectors, dealers, artists, galleries, museums and auction houses, but also other stakeholders, such as insurers, transport companies, and financiers.
The legal aspects of the art business are broad, covering disputes of title, authenticity, loan agreements, exposition and art fairs, insurance and financial contracts, transport and storage, copyright and restitution.
In the art market, privacy is essential. Financial stakes are often high and unexpected pitfalls abound, making risks difficult to evaluate unless one has competent advisers.
Hands-on Experience
We offer comprehensive legal advice to the arts community and its various players. Our services range from negotiating, drafting and advising on contracts, to complex domestic and international disputes, including resolution by international arbitration.
We assist our clients with appropriate planning, risk management and assessment of all protection mechanisms when drafting contracts, helping to prevent disputes before they arise. Sometimes, however, disputes are unavoidable. If a dispute regarding an artwork does arise, it is important to find a solution that is in the best interest of our clients.
We are familiar with the mechanisms of the art market and see the benefits of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for such disputes, including arbitration, offering tailor-made processes that take into account the specialised needs of art-related disputes. Art arbitration, in particular, provides the parties with a binding dispute resolution mechanism in a private and confidential environment.
