Withers has appointed senior counsel Frank Lord to grow its art and advisory practice in the US. Lord, who is based in New York, spent more than five years leading his own specialized art law practice.
Frank Lord
Sarina Taylor has also joined the US Art and Advisory team from Milbank LLP. She is a former Christie's specialist in Asian 20th century and contemporary art.
For more than two decades, Lord has represented collectors, art dealers, claimants, auction houses and museums on art transactions, loan agreements, insurance and intellectual property matters, and disputes related to artworks.
He has handled record-setting private sales, helped place works in important institutions, such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art , the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Lord has advised individuals and estates on the sale of hundreds of works at auction in the US, the UK and the Netherlands.
Mari-Claudia Jiménez, partner and head of Withers' US Art and Advisory practice, said: "His experience is unparalleled. Frank is not only a lawyer, but he is also an art historian with a PhD. His background in art history gives him a nuanced view of the legal issues our clients face. He speaks their language and shares their devotion to the remarkable works that are at the core of what we all do."
Lord added: “Joining Mari-Claudia is a new partnership that continues our extraordinary personal and professional relationship stretching back to the very beginning of our legal careers. We have a shared belief in a holistic approach to advising clients that depends not only on our skill as attorneys but also on our experiences as art world professionals.”