Art and cultural property

Wedlake Bell LLP

Rudy Capildeo and Tim Maxwell co-lead the team at Wedlake Bell LLP, which has been praised as a ‘force to be reckoned with’ due to its ’deep and long-standing knowledge of the art-world’. The group is ‘doing well’ and covers the full range of contentious and non-contentious matters. It advises on diverse issues relating to the buying, selling, and financing of art and luxury assets, as well as advising on international loans of art for and to museums. Clients include artists, including numerous famous street artists, in addition to collectors, financiers, philanthropists, fairs, galleries, and museums. Capildeo has particularly strong expertise in luxury asset financing, and the use of luxury assets as financial commodities. Maxwell primarily specialises in disputes and issues regarding forgeries, fraud, title, provenance, restitution, and authenticity. Petra Warrington was promoted to the partnership in April 2024 and she has considerable litigation and transactional experience.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘It's now one of the largest art practices in London, so their knowledge is current. Rudy Capildeo and Tim Maxwell are delightful and a pleasure to work with.’
‘Tim Maxwell and his team are experts in their field. For art-related work, we need very specialist legal advice and this is what Tim offers. He is responsive, measured and commercial. It is a pleasure to work with him.’
‘Rudy Capildeo has all the connections and insights to be a real leader in the art law world. Tim Maxwell also very impressive on litigation. Petra Warrington is lovely and has great experience.’
‘For many years now I have worked with Tim Maxwell and Rudy Capildeo. I am deeply impressed by their vertical and horizontal knowledge in the arts and cultural sector.'
‘Deep and long standing knowledge of the art world. Both are very accessible, which is important for quick advice.’
‘The team know exactly what they are doing and they are very professional and effective. I am really happy with the results.’
'Each time we are reassured by their knowledgeable approach, always providing us with measured responses and thoughtful explanations.'
‘Rudy Capildeo has been a highly professional adviser, making sure that we have the confidence to push back on behalf of the artists we work with. Jil Birnbaum has always been extremely supportive.'

Key clients

Hickox
The Design & Artists Copyright Society
The Artists’ Collecting Society

Work highlights

Represented Linda Hickox, a victim of Timothy Sammons, the notorious art dealer who defrauded clients out of tens of millions of pounds by operating his business as a Ponzi scheme, in a case that settled in 2023.
Represented the not-for-profit entities the Design & Artists Copyright Society and the Artists’ Collecting Society, the two collecting societies responsible for collecting resale royalties on behalf of artists and artists' estates, in a major claim.