Art

Ours is one of the preeminent Art law practices in New York. Over decades of work in this field our lawyers have amassed vast experience in representing the interests of artists, collectors, galleries, art dealers, not-for-profit institutions, as well as businesses, organizations and individuals involved in the buying and selling of artworks.


We represent our clients in litigations and arbitrations that involve disputes as to authenticity, provenance, claims of ownership, title and right of possession, quality, theft, fraud, damage to art and other issues unique to this area of law. To assist us in advocating our clients’ causes to judges, juries and arbitrators we maintain a network of highly regarded international art experts and scholars who provide trial testimony as well as behind-the-scenes consulting and support.


In transactional matters we advise clients on all legal matters involving creation, protection, retention and disposition of artworks. We negotiate and prepare sale and purchase agreements, consignments, commissions and licensing agreement. We arrange for and oversee appraisals and loans of artworks. We also counsel artists and collectors on matters relating to protection of established reputations and intellectual property, including copyright, fine-tuning of collections and adapting inheritance and estate plans involving artworks..


Our lawyers regularly appear on art panels organized by various bar associations and other organizations, and also conduct legal education courses on art law.


Among the clients we have represented are:

  • the American Numismatic Society in several litigations in California and New York to recover stolen historic coins;
  • Denver Museum of Art in federal court litigation to recover a Native American artifact;
  • European national in an action against a California museum involving the acquisition of a Rubens painting;
  • Michael Goldberg, one of the last of the New York School expressionists, in several litigations;
  • European collector in an action against a New York-based art dealer involving authenticity of several Russian paintings;
  • Russian art collector in an ad hoc arbitration against a seller involving purchase of several paintings;
  • family branch of a renowned art collector Jacques Gelman in a multi-jurisdictional litigation involving claims of ownership to one of the world’s premiere private collections of 20th century art;
  • South American client in several private mediations in U.S. and Europe concerning the authenticity of several artworks.