Law & Politics A Spanish Museum Can Keep a Nazi-Looted Camille Pissarro Painting Despite Family’s Objections, an Appeals Court Rules The court lets the museum off the hook since it did not appear aware of the earlier theft. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 18, 2020
Law & Politics A Scholar and an Art Institute Are Currently Waging a Scorched-Earth Legal Battle Over Valuable Modigliani Research The Wildenstein Plattner Institute has filed a scathing response and new legal claims against Modigliani expert Marc Restellini. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 17, 2020
Law & Politics A Brooklyn Art-Storage Company Is Suing Art Dealer Fergus McCaffrey for Allegedly Failing to Pay His $145,000 Bill McCaffrey claims the company refused to let him move the gallery's work in-house. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 11, 2020
Law & Politics The Museum of the Bible Is in Discussions With Iraq to Reach a Settlement Over Thousands of Disputed Antiquities in Its Collection The museum says that it is seeking to support Iraq with "research, exhibitions, and technical assistance projects." By Naomi Rea, Aug 11, 2020
Law & Politics The New Museum’s Union Has Filed Charges With the National Labor Relations Board Over Recent Layoffs The museum acted in a “discriminatory and retaliatory” way in laying off union members, the complaint argues. By Taylor Dafoe, Aug 10, 2020
Law & Politics An Art Advisor Is Suing Rudy Giuliani for Failing to Pay Her for Appraising His Collection During His Contentious Divorce The art advisor Miller Gaffney says Giuliani owes her more than $15,000 for her services. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 10, 2020
Law & Politics After Trustees Resign and Students Voice ‘Shame,’ the New York Academy of Art Issues a ‘Profound Apology’ to Epstein Accuser Maria Farmer After Naomi Watts and three other female trustees resigned, the academy's board is promising change. By Rachel Corbett, Aug 10, 2020
Law & Politics As Fallout From the Inigo Philbrick Scandal Rages on, Investors Go to Court to Claim Ownership of a $12 Million Twice-Sold Basquiat Painting Investors and collectors are trying to untangle the mess left by the indicted dealer. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 7, 2020
Law & Politics Days After More Than 80 Philadelphia Museum of Art Employees Were Laid Off, the Institution’s Workers Have Voted to Unionize The bargaining group will include every museum employee who works at least four hours a week, and will be the only wall-to-wall museum union in the country. By Taylor Dafoe, Aug 6, 2020
Law & Politics Swiss Authorities Are Investigating Embattled Art Dealer Yves Bouvier for Evading as Much as $360 Million in Taxes Bouvier argues that he has lived in Singapore for the past decade and therefore is not subject to Swiss tax. By Eileen Kinsella, Aug 4, 2020
Law & Politics The Tenement Museum’s Union Filed a Complaint With the Labor Board After the Institution Laid Off 80 Percent of Unionized Staff The museum was in the midst of negotiating its first union contract when it laid off all but 12 of its 89-person bargaining unit. By Sarah Cascone, Jul 31, 2020
Law & Politics A Hard-Hitting New Senate Report Details How Art Dealers and Auction Houses Have Undermined US Sanctions Against Russia Arkady and Boris Rotenberg spent $18.4 million in art after being put under sanctions by president Obama. By Taylor Dafoe, Jul 29, 2020
Law & Politics Whistleblowers at the Detroit Institute of Arts Expand Their Ethics Complaint Beyond the Museum’s Director to Include the Board Chair, Too The expanded complaint was filed with the institute's board and the Association of Art Museum Directors. By Rachel Corbett, Jul 24, 2020
Law & Politics After Abruptly Shutting Down Amid a Staff Unionizing Effort, LA’s Marciano Foundation Must Now Pay a Settlement to Laid-Off Workers The LA foundation is paying laid-off workers 10 weeks of severance as part of the settlement. By Sarah Cascone, Jul 23, 2020
Law & Politics In a Historic Move, France Has Taken a Major Step Towards Fully Restituting 27 Looted African Objects to Senegal and Benin New legislation in France could see 26 looted objects returned to Benin and a sword restituted to Senegal. By Kate Brown, Jul 16, 2020
