Withers LLP

Litigation and Arbitration

Partner

Dean's team has focused on commercial disputes, contract disputes, art law, intellectual property, fiduciary liability, product liability, private company investor disputes, and securities litigation and investigations. Dean also has litigated matters involving mergers and acquisitions, the First Amendment, media, constitutional law, and environmental contamination. He has handled trials and cases in federal and state courts around the United States. In addition, Dean has negotiated and drafted many agreements in art and intellectual property transactions.

Among his various clients, Dean has successfully represented one of the two largest art auction houses in dozens of lawsuits covering a broad range of art law related issues, such as authenticity of works of art, art fraud, auction law, consignment obligations as well as rights and obligations of parties in loan transactions where works of art have been pledged as collateral. He also has represented artists and their families and foundations, art dealers and agents, art collectors and art appraisers in many art-related disputes. He was lead counsel in the initial cases uncovering the two largest art fraud scandals in the past 15 years. In addition, Dean provided the leadership as chair of a bar association committee that resulted in the drafting and enactment of New York legislation detailing the rights and obligations of dealers and artists in art consignment relationships. He held the position as Chair of the Art Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association from June 2013 to June 2016.

Dean also has extensive experience in product liability litigation around the country. Court TV relied on his product liability expertise, having him appear several times as a commentator for featured product liability cases.

He also represented large investment institutions in connection with investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as in private civil actions. He additionally has extensive experience defending clients against securities law claims.

Dean's environmental litigation experience has primarily involved groundwater contamination, soil contamination and hazardous waste issues. He has handled large Superfund cases as well as responses to state and federal environmental investigations around the country.

Marlboro College

Art Law Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York

American Horse Trials Foundation, Inc

American Bar Association

Copyright Society of the United States

American University, Washington College of Law, magna cum laude, J.D.

Marlboro College, cum laude, B.A.