Anastassia is an associate in our London art team.
Anastassia specialises in art and cultural property law and has experience advising galleries, auction houses, collectors and artists, as well as cultural institutions and charities, on transactional and contentious matters in the art market.On the intellectual property side, Anastassia deals with copyright and trademark issues for artists, galleries and musicians, ranging from joint venture agreements to advice on passing-off claims.
Prior to joining Withers, Anastassia trained with a highly regarded law firm in Cambridge and worked for a Lincoln's Inn firm in London. She previously gained further experience advising on art and cultural property matters at a London-based US law firm and assisted with World War II restitution cases in Berlin.
Anastassia is qualified to practice in England and Wales, as well as in the Republic of Ireland.
Me in a minute
It is particularly exciting when I can support my clients when they embark on new creative ventures
I have had a passion for art and archaeology ever since my childhood days, particularly medieval and Renaissance art and late antique relics. Gaining experience in the London, Berlin and Geneva art markets, I quickly found my calling when I interned with the legal team of a major global auction house in London and realised how fascinating it was to engage with the art industry from a legal angle.
Following my time at the University of Oxford, where I completed a Master's in history of art and visual culture, I attended law school in London and went on to assist with the restitution of Nazi-looted art at a law firm in Berlin.
What I enjoy most about my work is the versatility of my practice and the uniqueness of each case that comes in front of me. Certainly, there are some broader patterns in the law relating to it, but each case involves different players, commercial objectives and artworks, which all require nuanced analysis and tailored advice.
Whether it is an object found at the bottom of the sea, consigned artwork which was damaged during flooding in Brazil, or an NFT's smart contract which does not contain the right licences – there is no one-fits-all solution. This makes it all the more important for your lawyer to not only understand the law, but also prevailing market practices and the courts' stance on such practices.
It is particularly exciting when I can support my clients when they embark on new creative ventures and to prepare the framework or tools which allow them to thrive in this ever-evolving industry.