Expertise

Tim blends commercial litigation, private wealth experience with a market leading specialism in art law and cultural property law. He has been separately recognised for his expertise in relation to other luxury assets such as collector cars and wine whilst also advising on matters involving musical instruments, jewellery and yachts.

Tim is instructed by a wide spectrum of clients ranging from artists to government institutions.

Tim has been involved in notable cases involving artists’ rights, street art & brands, insurance, art finance, auction house conduct, attribution & authenticity, provenance & title, export & import, fraud, fakes & forgeries, guarantees, restitution & recovery.

Recent Experience

Tim’s experience includes:

• Being involved in several of the leading cases relating to auction house disputes.
• Advising on test cases in the field of artists’ rights including the only reported case on ownership of street art.
• Claims involving exceptional cultural property or underwater cultural heritage.
• Proposed reforms to the laws relating to art finance in the UK.
• Advice in relation to pre-eminent and world-renowned collector cars.

Career History

Boodle Hatfield LLP 2003-2019

Charles Russell Speechlys LLP 2019-2022

Wedlake Bell LLP

Member of:

• IBA Art, Cultural Institutions & Heritage Law Committee.
• Pool of Arbitrators for the Court of Arbitration for Art.
• Register of Arbitrators in the Venice Chamber of Arbitration.
• The Institute of Art & Law.
• PAIAM.

Publications

• Contributor to Sale of Goods – Volume 34 of the Encyclopaedia of Forms & Precedents.
• Ownership of Street Art, Art Antiquity & Law, Volume 21, Issue 1 (April 2016) pp 73-82.
• Various ad hoc articles contributions to Apollo, New Law Journal, Law Society Gazette and the Step Journal.
• He has also been quoted in the mainstream media and broadsheets whilst often providing insights for trade press such as the Art Newspaper and the Antiques Trade Gazette.

Endorsements

• Band 1 – Chambers HNW 2022
• Band 1 Chambers UK 2022
• Leading Individual – Legal 500, 2022
• Spear’s 500 2022 Top Recommended
• Private Client Global Elite recommends 2022-2023
• Recognised in Who’s Who Legal Private Client Global 2021
• Best Lawyers (Art law) 2022
• Coverage in Lawyer’s top 15 Appeals of 2021
• Previously Times Lawyer of the Week
• My Legal Life: Profile: Law Gazette

Additional Information

Tim has guest lectured at the University of Glasgow, Christie’s Education, Sotheby’s Institute, the Courtauld Art Law Society, the Institute of Art & Law and various conferences both domestic and international.