Handshakes are liabilities
A gentleman's agreement is a lawsuit waiting to happen. We draft explicit terms for consignment, insurance, and transfer.
PRACTICE · ART & ENTERTAINMENT
Fine Art Transactions & Provenance
The global art market operates on a fragile ecosystem of trust, discretion, and handshake agreements—a system that completely collapses when tested by a dispute. Whether you are an institutional collector moving a masterpiece or a contemporary artist securing gallery representation, we replace ambiguity with enforceable contracts. We handle the complex mechanics of high-value physical transfers, blind escrows, and rigorous provenance verification, ensuring the asset is protected long before it enters the auction house.
- Discipline
- Art & Entertainment
- Engagement
- Per matter or retainer
- Counsel
- Christopher Moye
ART & ENTERTAINMENT
Handshakes are liabilities
A gentleman's agreement is a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Principles · 01
How we work.
Every engagement is composed against these commitments. They shape the agreements we draft, the protections we add, and the questions we ask before signing.
Discretion is engineered
Blind escrows and private treaties do not happen by accident. They require meticulous legal architecture to maintain anonymity.
Provenance is everything
A gap in the history destroys the value. We conduct rigorous title and provenance investigations prior to any transaction.
What we watch · 02
The considerations.
Where attention concentrates during the engagement — the structures, terms, and protections that decide whether the agreement holds when tested.
ARTISTCOLLECTOR
Gallery Agreements & NY Arts Law
Enforcing the strict fiduciary protections of the New York Arts and Cultural Affairs Law to insulate artists and collectors against consignment risk and gallery insolvency.
FAMILY OFFICEHNW
Private Treaty Sales
Architecting blind escrow structures and multi-jurisdictional transfer protocols for the discreet, secure sale of high-value blue-chip works outside public auction.
ESTATEPATRIARCH
Archive Succession
Building the sophisticated estate structures required to seamlessly transfer massive physical collections and their associated copyrights to institutions or heirs postmortem.
The work · 03
Four steps. One engagement.
Each step is concrete; each step has a deliverable. No magic, no vapor — just enforceable documents and considered counsel.
- 01
Due Diligence
We trace provenance, verify clear title, and check the artwork against international registries of stolen or contested works.
- 02
Structural Design
We draft the purchase agreements, consignment terms, and escrow arrangements that govern the physical and financial exchange.
- 03
Execution
We oversee the physical inspection, condition reporting, and secure transfer of funds through trusted intermediaries.
- 04
Post-Transaction
We handle the subsequent insurance, storage, and loan agreements for the piece as it enters a private collection or museum.
Where this connects · 02
Disciplines often used here.
This practice area sits inside one primary discipline and touches others. Each card describes the cross-discipline connection in concrete terms.
Primary discipline
Art, Streaming & Entertainment Law
Primary discipline. Seeing the whole field — economics, technology, IP, cultural infrastructure.
Read the disciplineConnects to
Real and Intellectual Property
Copyright registration, master and publishing splits, brand and trademark strategy, gallery and dealer agreements, licensing across platforms.
Read the disciplineSECURE YOUR COLLECTION
Secure your collection.
Formalize the handshake. Structure the blind escrow, verify provenance, and enforce the gallery agreement.
Schedule a private consultation