England - London • Private client
Withers LLP
Notably featuring Sarah Barker and Eleni Polycarpou, the outstanding team at Withers LLP has ‘incredible depth and can pivot on issues quickly making it a lean, mean and agile litigation and advisory machine’. Barker works with collectors and creative entrepreneurs as well as successful artists and their estates, art dealers and artTech businesses on a whole host of commercial and transactional matters, while Polycarpou specialises in contentious art matters, many of which are multi-jurisdictional, and include stolen art cases, title and authenticity disputes, and consignment cases. The group added Natalie Sherborn to its ranks from Pinsent Masons LLP, who is adept at handling white-collar defence and investigations.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘This team has an unrivalled capacity to take on multi-jurisdictional art cases with offices stationed all over the world to permit rapid action. This global chain of offices bring local expertise with decades of experience in London to resolve the most complex of disputes'.
‘Eleni Polycarpou is the stand out, anything a client wants sorted she can handle. She is an absolute star'.
‘Sarah Barker has an intimate grasp of the art world and the way in which its actors think'.
‘Eleni Polycarpou runs an extremely successful multi-lingual team with a superb eye on strategy alongside Sarah Barker, who is incredibly well known for her highly specialised and long-standing premium expert position in the market'.
‘Withers deservedly have an outstanding reputation for litigation in the field of art and cultural property. Eleni Polycarpou is immensely experienced, and has the critical (in this field) combination of deep knowledge of culture and history, high intelligence, commitment to the client's cause, and a winning personality'.
'Overall, Sarah Barker's in-depth knowledge of the art world combined with her sharp analytical mind and intuitive understanding of our company have made it possible for our company to make the right decision again and again'.
‘Real understanding of the art world - and relationship between gallery and artist. Sarah Barker - very knowledgeable, clear, professional and impressive. Also efficient and likeable'.
‘Eleni Polycarpou is knowledgeable and approachable. Very hands-on, professional and knowledge based team. Giulia Trojani is a very strong associate, very hardworking, efficient and bright'.
Key clients
- Vortic
- Gurr Johns
- Hauser and Wirth
- National Gallery of Scotland
- Victoria Miro
- Tate
Work highlights
- Providing a range of legal advice to Vortic (also known as Vortic XR), a technology start-up which is an extended reality platform offering galleries and museums an opportunity to exhibit works of art and host exhibitions online using advanced AR and VR technology.
- Acting for an art financing company in a multi-jurisdictional, multi-party, multi-million dollar claim in relation to lending on a pool of collateralised artworks.
- Representing a new generation star artist on all their personal and studio legal requirements.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Sarah Barker