OVERVIEW
The art market functions at a global level. But while record prices for quality art grab headlines, forgery, deceit, and the plunder and theft of cultural heritage in crisis-torn regions have reached unprecedented levels, creating traps not only for the unwary amateur but also for sophisticated collectors and major international institutions.
Wherever art is created, acquired, sold, consigned, auctioned, loaned, insured, exhibited, exported, imported, or misappropriated, it is subject to a maze of international conventions and differing national laws, regulations and practices. These cover a diverse range: contract, property, tort, intellectual property, trade, customs, tax and inheritance law, as well as the rules on conflicts of laws, governing and controlling the activities of artists, publishers, dealers, galleries, auctioneers, financiers, insurers, private and public collectors, and major museums worldwide.
The strength and depth of Hunters’ art practice is widely recognised. Our team has specialist art market expertise, providing effective and discrete advice in preserving and protecting the reputation of our clients and the art works with which they are concerned. We regularly advise individuals, galleries and members of the art trade on all aspects of managing personal collections and business interests.
- Commissioning arrangements
- Artist Management and Agency Agreements
- Provenance, appraisal, attribution, authenticity, ownership and title in art works
- Risk management and pre and post-acquisition due diligence
- Import, export, customs compliance and cross-border movement of art
- Loan, bequest and exhibition of art works
- All aspects of fraud, fakes, forgeries, theft and money laundering
- Insurance coverage and insurance recovery claims
- The law and practice relating to treasure
- Art investment and finance
- Creation, management and dissolution of art collections
- Tracing and recovery of lost, looted or otherwise misappropriated art and cultural property
- Sale and acquisition of artworks and antiquities through private treaty or at auction, including gallery, consignment and commissioning agreements
- Creation, protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights including copyright, moral rights and artist’s resale rights
- Care, status and repatriation of human remains in museums and galleries
