Representational
Transactions
Arts
- Designed and implemented a full-scale copyright audit of a museum’s collection of historic and contemporary paintings and photographs.
- Advised a couple on provenance assessment, documentation, and issues related to the potential sale, loan, or donation of pieces in their extensive collection of ancient, historic, and contemporary ceramics.
- Counseled a foreign art collector through the purchase of major Impressionist paintings through New York galleries, including oversight of authenticity and title research, contract drafting/negotiations with galleries, and coordination of tax, insurance, shipping, and condition assessments related to the transfer of works through several jurisdictions in the U.S. and Europe.
- Counseled sculptors and negotiated agreements for private
and public commissions of works, consignment of works through
galleries, sales of existing works, and licensing works for further
commercial exploitation.
- Advised authors on protection and exploitation of mystery
and science fiction novels.
- Advised a fine arts photographer on protection and sale of
editions of works.
Entertainment
- Negotiated domestic and international video clip and publicity rights licenses for a five-hour documentary series.
- Advised, drafted, and negotiated contracts for an
entertainment company developing original content and providing
work-made-for-hire services relating to children’s and general audience
entertainment properties.
- In-house and outside counsel for Lyrick Studios, owner of
the children’s entertainment properties Barney & Friends and
Wishbone, among other properties. Addressed myriad legal
issues involving the creation, production, distribution, and licensing
of television episodes, DVD releases, musical compositions, sound
recordings, books, and merchandising.
- Oversaw intellectual property protection for a video game
company, including the creation and development of storylines,
characters, and related elements.
- Served as court-appointed guardian ad litem for Destiny’s
Child and LeAnn Rimes in connection with their first major label
recording contracts.
- Advised heirs of a well-known actor on options for managing
posthumous rights of publicity and use of recorded materials by others.
Cultural Property/Heritage
- Counseled a major collector of ancient, historic, and contemporary ceramics and other antiquities on legal and ethical aspects of potential transfers of objects to heirs, museums, source communities, or private purchasers.
- Counseled an art dealer on
legal issues relating to the international transport and auction of a
culturally important historical coin collection.
- Advised
a major U.S. museum on legal issues relating to an ongoing, fractional
donation of Native American objects to the museum.
- Advised a U.S. museum on potential claims for repatriation of
Native American antiquities in its collection.
- Contributed
legal analysis as part of a multi-disciplinary project advising a
Central American country on ownership, protection, and management of
its antiquities and cultural heritage.
- Advised indigenous communities on issues related to intellectual property, arts and antiquities trade, and cultural heritage protection.