Track record
#MeToo investigation
Represented a senior curator at a major international museum in a #MeToo investigation alleging sexual assault and other misconduct in the workplace
Art galleries anti-money laundering compliance
Representing prominent art galleries before the US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control with anti-money laundering compliance as relating to "blocked persons" who have provided financial support to international terrorist organizations.
Notorious antiquities dealer
Representing a notorious antiquities dealer who has been indicted by the New York County District Attorney's Office for conspiracy, grand larceny and related crimes and is accused of being the mastermind behind an international smuggling ring that has stolen over $100 million of cultural heritage property belonging to India.
Commercial palaeontologist
Represented a “commercial paleontologist” who was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York with smuggling into the United States dinosaur fossils from Mongolia, assembling a life-size Tyrannosaurus skeleton and attempting to sell the skeleton at auction. The case became the subject of an award-winning book entitled “The Dinosaur Artist” in 2018.
Artist's catalogue raisonné
Represented the authenticators and authors of an artist's catalogue raisonné in a federal civil action in the Southern District of New York accusing them of fraud involving the purchase and resale of one of the artist's paintings.
Cultural heritage property theft
Represented one of the leading dealers in New York of South Asian antiquities in a criminal complaint filed by the New York County District Attorney's Office alleging an international conspiracy involving the theft of cultural heritage property from foreign countries and its importation into the United States.
"Turnover" proceeding
Represented collectors in a “turnover” proceeding instituted by the New York County District Attorney's Office to repatriate an archaic marble bull's head to the source country and in a related federal civil action in the Southern District of New York to clear title to the artifact.
New York State sales tax investigations
Represented targets and witnesses in multiple New York State sales tax investigations conducted by the New York County District Attorney's Office, the New York State Attorney General's Office and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance regarding the purchase of high value artwork and other high net worth assets.
Talks
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'The law of international cultural heritage property and the case of the Mongolian Tyrannosaurus Bataar,' Charleston School of Law November 14, 2022, speaker
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‘Art Law Day 2022 - Political Risk Management,' Appraisers Association of America, Inc., New York - November 11, 2022, speaker
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'Art & Crime: Exploring the Impact of New Anti-Money Laundering Laws on the Art Market and Understanding the Works of the FBI's Art Crime Squad,' San Francisco Bar Association - September 29, 2022, speaker
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'China's Stolen Treasures | A Question of Ownership,' BBC Podcast - March 29, 2022, speaker
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'Next Steps in AML compliance in the art market,' Withers (Webinar) - March 16, 2022, speaker
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'Study of the facilitation of money laundering and terror finance through the trade in works of art,' Sotheby's Institute of Art - March 14, 2022, guest lecturer
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NYCBA Art Law Committee - November 9,2021, speaker
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'Protecting your art: What you need to know about copyright, restitution, money laundering and other art transactions,' American Society of Appraisers (Webinar) - October 20, 2020, speaker
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‘Hot Topics in Art Law 2020,' New York City Bar - October 1, 2020, speaker
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'US Sanctions and New Anti-Money Laundering Legislation: What it Means for the Art Market,' San Francisco Bar Association - February 26, 2020, speaker
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'Sales and Use Tax: Do's and Don'ts,' The National Arts Club - November 6, 2016
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Guest Faculty Member, New York County District Attorney's Office Annual Trial Advocacy Program, 2008-present