Art and Cultural Property Law
UK Guide 2025 : UK-wide
Band 2
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
(020) 7329 4422About
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP
Our art law team has a deep understanding of the art market. Our lawyers combine extensive experience of advising clients operating in the art market with a passionate interest in art and cultural history. Many in the team have first-hand experience of working within the art industry.
Our team comprises lawyers from all of the firm’s main practice areas and advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters. As well as advising on art and cultural property law issues, we can provide clients with general commercial, tax, employment, real estate and corporate advice. As an international firm, we can also provide clients with a range of local advice.
We act for a diverse range of clients including:
- artists
- art advisers and valuers
- auctioneers
- collectors
- dealers
- financial institutions
- Government bodies
- national galleries and museums
- private galleries
- trade associations.
We advise on an equally diverse range of matters:
- acquisitions and disposals of art
- agency and commission agreements
- attribution and authenticity disputes
- borrowing and lending against art
- CITES regulations
- criminal law
- competition law
- corporate strategy and investment
- export licensing
- insurance claims
- intellectual property
- internet trading and distance selling
- professional negligence disputes
- regulatory and compliance
- risk management
- stolen and looted art
- standard terms of business
- tax and VAT
- title disputes.
Chambers Review
Stephenson Harwood advises on transactional matters and complex disputes, including art financing, sales and purchases, insurance claims, and litigation concerning authenticity and attribution.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Stephenson Harwood's art law department is tried and true. They have been doing art law for decades and are one of the leading art law firms in the UK."
"The team are really enjoyable to work with. They know very deeply how the art market functions."
"Stephenson Harwood's art law department is tried and true. They have been doing art law for decades and are one of the leading art law firms in the UK."
"The team are really enjoyable to work with. They know very deeply how the art market functions."
Notable Practitioners
Roland Foord is an experienced commercial litigator and the firm's senior partner.
"Roland is very statesmanlike. He is a very sharp lawyer who has worked on many of the famous cases in this area."
"He is terrific and knows exactly what he is doing. Roland is absolutely more than a safe pair of hands and a consummate professional in this sphere."
"Roland is a highly dependable, competent and pleasant lawyer. We consider him the archetypal Stephenson Harwood solicitor and a standard bearer of professionalism at the firm."
Ranked Lawyers at
Stephenson Harwood LLP
UK-wide
Members
Provided by Stephenson Harwood LLP