Art and Antiquities

What We Do

We are the premier law firm in the world dedicated solely to the cultural heritage sector. We have years of experience litigating and advising on matters for our art world clients–from museums, galleries, and auction houses to major collectors, nonprofits, and artists.

Provenance, Title & Ownership Issues

We handle a wide range of provenance, title, and ownership issues on behalf of our clients and are experienced with litigation and alternative dispute resolution. We advise our clients on compliance with cultural patrimony laws and other laws relevant for collecting objects, such as natural resources laws applicable to fossils. Our attorneys have resolved disputes over Nazi seizures, wartime looting, forced sales, illicitly trafficked antiquities, and thefts. This has allowed us to secure successful outcomes on behalf of heirs of Holocaust victims, museums, private collectors, and other nonprofit organizations, auction houses, and foreign governments.

Due Diligence, Transactions & Collections Management

We assist collectors and museums in taking proactive measures to prevent issues further down the line (i.e., inheritance, sale, donation) by advising on due diligence practices prior to the acquisition of art, antiquities, fossils, and rare collectibles. We advise on commercial transactions and also research, document and provide guidance on objects already in collections. We help clients navigate domestic and international import and export restrictions for art and antiquities, both for works on the market and objects circulating temporarily on loan.

Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Compliance

We advise tribes, museums, and collectors on NAGPRA claims and international cultural property repatriation and restitution. 

Museums & Cultural Nonprofit Governance

We counsel museums and other cultural nonprofits on policymaking and board and governance issues. We also advise on collections management best practices, due diligence and provenance-related matters. We help our nonprofit clients comply with state, federal, and international laws and regulations as they execute their work at home and abroad. 

Notable Engagements

• Partnered with the Native American Rights Fund as co-counsel for the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, which is suing the U.S. Army for repatriation of the remains of two children who died at the infamous Carlisle Boarding School in Pennsylvania.
• Advised on due diligence and legal considerations involved in the purchase and sale of dinosaur fossils. 
• Managed litigation and a government investigation regarding the ownership and repatriation of various antiquities.
• Assisted a nonprofit client in locating sculpture stolen during the 1960s and negotiating its return from current possessor.

Questions?

Please contact: Dr. Jennifer Morris.