Sarah Barker

With a background as a magic circle corporate lawyer, Sarah advises on high value transactions for the sale and purchase of fine art and other valuable moveable assets (such as musical instruments, antiques, diamonds and collectibles). These transactions and private treaty sales are typically cross-border in nature, and often involve agents and intermediaries.

Sarah also drafts and negotiates the contracts underpinning the commercial relationships within the sector (including auction and gallery consignment agreements, agency agreements, gallery representation agreements, terms of sale, loan and exhibition agreements, auction guarantee agreements, irrevocables and auction house terms). Sarah has a particular specialism in the anti-money laundering regulation of the art market. 

Sarah and the art law team also assist clients with fine art asset-backed lending matters.

Achievements

Sarah is rated Band 1 by Chambers & Partners for Art & Cultural Property, and as a "Leading Partner" by the Legal 500.

She is a regular contributor to Apollo - the International Art Magazine, and she has lectured at the Sotheby's Institute of Art. She is a frequent panel speaker, and her views on art law and business matters have been sought by think tanks and various publications including RUSI, the Financial Times, Bloomberg Law, the Art Newspaper, Dazed, and Tatler. She is a member of Professional Advisors to the International Art Market, the Art Lawyers' Association, and the Institute of Art & Law.

Listed in 'Who's Who', Sarah sat for three terms on one of the UKs largest philanthropic giving committees for the arts, and she currently sits on the Board of St Paul's School. Sarah previously sat on the Advisory Committee for the Circa Art public art project at Piccadilly Circus, and for ArtClear (a business using technology to link physical artworks to their verifiable digital records). Sarah was Chairman of the Patrons for the Royal Academy of Arts (Schools), and she also sat on their Education Committee.