Art & Luxury
Our team of specialist art and luxury lawyers advise a range of clients from artists, private collectors and international galleries through to governments, state institutions, museums, lenders, philanthropists and art fairs. We also have rich experience in other luxury assets such as collector cars, musical instruments, jewellery, wine and watches.
Internationally recognised art lawyers, Tim Maxwell and Rudy Capildeo, lead our Art & Luxury practice. Their team is routinely instructed on record-breaking transactions and high-value disputes, and has assisted on a number of important and ground breaking cases, while also saving collections for the nation and helping clients to achieve world-record auction results.
We continue to be instructed on ongoing cases, including title and artist representation disputes and regulatory issues including sanctions advice. We have been instructed on new disputes involving fraud and art financing and represent several street artists and collectors of street art.
News
Wedlake Bell sponsors London Art Week 2023
Wedlake Bell has announced its sponsorship of London Art Week 2023 enhancing its commitment to clients’ private capital needs following the recent recruitment of one of London’s market leading Art… Read more →
News
Wedlake Bell Partners feature in ‘Tatler’ article on unregulated art market
In this article for Tatler, Partners Camilla Wallace and Rudy Capildeo comment on UHNWs investing in art and the risks associated with this unregulated market. To read the article please… Read more →
News
Art and Responsibility: Lessons Learned from Unscrupulous Advisers
The art market has witnessed several high-profile fraud and theft cases involving art advisers and dealers in recent years. Last year, art dealer Inigo Philbrick was sentenced to prison after… Read more →
News
Proud to have represented The Artists’ Collecting Society and the Design and Artists Copyright Society
Wedlake Bell are proud to have represented ACS and DACS in their claim against Ivor Braka Limited which has successfully settled. See below for further details. The Artists’ Collecting Society… Read more →
News
Wedlake Bell enhances Art & Luxury practice with top-ranked team hire
City law firm, Wedlake Bell, is delighted to announce the arrival of Partners Tim Maxwell and Rudy Capildeo who will lead the firm’s Art & Luxury practice. They are joined… Read more →
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What Banksy teaches us about art ownership
Think the elusive artist has automatic rights to their famous murals? It’s a bit more complicated than that. Jack Martin and Kate Johnson break it down. In law, land includes buildings and fixtures. Once… Read more →
Uncategorized
As Art Market Becomes More “Intangible,” How To Prove Ownership?
In an article for Wealth Briefing, specialists Camilla Wallace and Jack Martin examine the fast-changing art marketplace, where digital works are in high demand and the new patrons are wealthy… Read more →
News
Piercing the art world’s cloak of secrecy: Hickox v Dickinson – eprivateclient
Head of Private Client Disputes Team, Caroline Miller, and Solicitor Jack Martin in the Private Client team, have written an insightful piece addressing the case of Hickox v Dickinson and… Read more →
News
Could your art work pay your inheritance tax bill?
The National Gallery has acquired a trio of 18th century artworks in lieu of approximately £10m of inheritance tax, including a pastel by Jean-Étienne Liotard and a portrait by Thomas… Read more →
The pre-eminent art practice. Partners Rudy Capildeo and Tim Maxwell are at the top of their field. Extremely well connected and knowledgeable. Petra Warrington is exceptionally capable and a star of the future.
— The Legal 500, 2023
They are extremely knowledgeable; always willing to help; can identify the issues and give succinct and clear advice and guidance and see through to what the real issue is and recommend practical solutions.
— The Legal 500, 2023