Sarah Barker

Partner | Co-head of art law | London


Client services contact Janet Brookbanks

Sarah is a partner and global co-head of our art law practice. 

Sarah is deeply immersed in the art industry, having worked for almost twenty years with artists and their estates, galleries, agents and dealers, collectors, foundations, trustees, auction houses, art lenders, fractional ownership platforms, and other industry players such as art businesses within the technology sector.  Sarah advises on the various aspects of the complex and often idiosyncratic relationships in the sector (both from a contentious and non-contentious perspective), and acts as trusted adviser to many of her clients. 

With a background as a City 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, and precious stones).  She also drafts the contracts underpinning the commercial relationships within the sector (such as consignment agreements, agency agreements, representation agreements, terms of sale, loan agreements, and auction house terms).  Sarah has a particular specialism in the anti-money laundering regulation of the art market.


Achievements

Sarah 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 Association of Women in the Arts 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 also sat on the Advisory Committee for the Circa Art public art project at Piccadilly Circus, and currently sits on the Advisory Committee for ArtClear, a business using technology to link physical artworks to their verifiable digital records.

Track record

Settlement agreement

Negotiating a settlement agreement in relation to a title dispute over an important artwork on behalf of an artist.

Artist's relationship with agent

Renegotiating the terms of a well-known artist's relationship with their agent-dealer.

Deal structuring

Advising on the deal structuring and the transaction documents for a fintech business related to fine art.

Art dealer

Advising on the structuring and terms of an art dealer's involvement with an NFT business.

Joint venture

Advising on a joint venture between a leading contemporary gallery and a technology company in respect of a new NFT platform.

Exit of investor from leading gallery

Advising on and implementing the exit from the business of one of the investor-founders of a leading contemporary gallery.

Talks

  • Sotheby's Institute of Art

  • Arts Club

  • Art Campus Conference

  • A Digitalis HNW Breakfast Event

  • Interviews (for print publications):

  • Bloomberg Law

  • Financial Times

  • RUSI- a leading UK think tank

Insight

External publications

Admissions

  • England & Wales 2001


Education

  • University College London, LLB [(Hons)] Laws

  • Sotheby's Institute of Art - Diploma in Art & Business


Languages

  • English

Key dates

  • Year joined: 2021