Art and Antiquities

What We Do

We are one of the few art law firms 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 issues on behalf of our clients. This includes provenance, title, and ownership disputes. We advise on insurance, tax and trust matters as well as conservation issues. We guide our clients on art and antiquities transactions (at auction, via a gallery or privately) and appraisals and valuations.

Due Diligence & Collections Management

We assist collectors in taking proactive measures to prevent issues further down the line (i.e., inheritance, sale) by advising on due diligence practices prior to the purchase of art and antiquities or in researching and documenting objects already in their collections.

Holocaust & Other Looted Art Recovery

Our attorneys have extensive experience in litigation and alternative dispute resolution in the areas of Nazi seizures, wartime looting, forced sales, illicitly trafficked antiquities, and thefts. This has allowed us to successfully resolve recovery claims on behalf of heirs of Holocaust victims, museums, and other nonprofit organizations, auction houses, and foreign governments.

Museums & Cultural Nonprofit Governance

We advise 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. 

Commercial Art Transactions

Our attorneys are experienced in commercial and corporate art-related transactions. We regularly advise on arts-related matters concerning copyright and trademark, including applications for state and federal protections and infringement litigation.

Import-Export Regulations & Compliance

We advise our clients on compliance with cultural patrimony laws. We advise on domestic and international import and export restrictions for art and antiquities, both for works on the market and objects circulating temporarily on loan.

Notable Engagements

• We handle major litigation regarding ownership of a high-value antiquity for the world’s leading auction house.
• We advise on compliance with foreign and international law, and provide strategy on the commercialization of a collection for a private collector and artist.
• For a major museum client, we advise on board governance issues and collections best practices. We review provenance of objects in the collection and advise on acquisitions. We advise on foreign cultural heritage legislation and import/export issues with objects in the museum’s collection. We assist with settlement negotiations involving museum clients and foreign sovereigns for the repatriation of objects.
• We manage litigation and a government investigation regarding the ownership of various antiquities for a private collector.
• For current and former members of Congress, we file as amici curiae before the Ninth Circuit supporting the restitution of Nazi-looted artworks to claimant heir.
• We assist a nonprofit client in locating sculpture stolen during the 1960s and negotiating its return from current possessor.
• For private collectors, we negotiated an amicable settlement with claimants alleging to be the owners of a high-value painting–the painting sold at auction and the parties shared the proceeds.
• For a nonprofit cultural heritage organization, we orchestrate a cultural heritage restoration project in Syria, complying with Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions and reporting requirements.

Questions?

Please contact our team leader: Jennifer Morris.