Withers has added experienced art and culture property lawyer Frank Lord and Asian 20th-century and contemporary art expert Sarina Taylor to its newly formed US art and advisory team in New York.
Lord, formerly with his own law office in New York for five years, joins as senior counsel. Previously, he worked at Herrick Feinstein from 2003 to 2020, where he was a partner.
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, as well as disputes related to artworks.
He has handled private sales and helped place works in institutions including 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 also advised individuals and estates on the sale of hundreds of works at auction in the US, UK and the Netherlands.
Taylor joins as an associate from Milbank. Before becoming a lawyer in 2021, she was an art specialist at Christie’s.
In June, Withers hired former Sotheby’s chair and president for the Americas Mari-Claudia Jiménez as a partner to head its New York art and advisory practice. She also co-leads the firm’s global art advisory practice with London-based partner Sarah Barker.
Jiménez was Sotheby’s global head of business development and left in February to form her own legal and art advisory practice, which was combined into Withers upon her joining. More than 20 years ago, Lord and Jiménez worked together in the art law group at Herrick Feinstein.
Jiménez said: “I am extremely excited to have Frank join the art and advisory practice that we have established in the US. His experience is unparalleled. Frank is not only a lawyer, he is 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.”
Jiménez also said she was excited to bring Taylor on board, noting that “she shares our vision of legal advice based on real experience in the art world”.
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