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Expertise

Buying, selling, exhibiting: art market law

Every transaction over an artwork raises questions of title, authenticity and provenance. The firm secures your operations and your contractual relationships.

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Typical situations

  • You are buying or selling a significant work and want the transaction secured
  • You are an artist entering into a gallery relationship and want a clear framework from the outset
  • You are lending or exhibiting a work and need the operation properly documented
  • Doubts arise over the authenticity or attribution of a work

Secured transactions

Sale agreements, warranties of authenticity and title, condition reports, escrow arrangements: the firm conducts provenance due diligence and negotiates the guarantees that protect buyer and seller alike.

Artists and galleries

Entering into a gallery relationship is a defining step in a career — and a contract negotiated upfront turns it into a lasting collaboration. Representation agreements structure the relationship: exclusivity and territories, commissions, consignment and insurance of works, duration and exit terms.

Loans, exhibitions and collections

Loan agreements, insurance, transport, image rights of the works: the firm documents exhibitions and collection management, for institutions and private collectors.

Authenticity and attribution

Where authenticity is questioned, the firm arranges expert examination, manages liability exposure and negotiates or litigates the consequences — with the discretion these matters demand.

Frequently asked questions

How do I secure the purchase of an artwork?
Verify provenance and the seller’s title, require written warranties of authenticity and title, and document the work’s condition. The firm structures the agreement so that recourse exists if a problem emerges later.
As an artist, how should I enter into a gallery relationship?
By negotiating the representation agreement before starting: exclusivity and territories, commissions, consignment and insurance of the works, duration and exit terms. A clear framework set at the outset is what makes the collaboration last — the firm negotiates these agreements for artists and galleries alike.
What warranties should a sale agreement contain?
At minimum: authenticity, title and the absence of encumbrances, with a clear allocation of risk and an agreed process if the work is challenged. Silence on these points is where disputes are born.

Speak with the firm.

Every inquiry receives a prompt and confidential reply, protected by professional privilege.

Contact the firm