News
Our Topics
- Art law
Mexico’s Supreme Court to Review Ban on Permanent Export of Frida Kahlo’s Works
Mexico’s Supreme Court has agreed to review the legality of a 1984 presidential decree that prohibits the permanent export of works by Frida Kahlo. The issue is especially significant given the scarcity of her works in public ownership: of the 152 works attributed to Kahlo, only seven paintings are held in Mexican state collections. The […]
- Insurance law Art law
Art Insurance and Lloyd’s of London: Looking Beyond the Syndicate’s Name
Introduction “From its earliest days, the café’s clientele frequented Lloyd’s for more than just a warm drink.”: In Halbower v. Hiscox Syndicate 33 of Lloyd’s of London (6th Cir., 29 May 2026), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit considered a dispute arising from the destruction of several high-value artworks in a fire […]
- Uncategorized Art law
US Congress passes revised HEAR Act removing barriers to Nazi-looted art claims
For decades, restitution claims for Nazi-looted art have often failed not on substance, but on procedural defenses—laches, statutes of limitations, or even acquisitive prescription.The HEAR Act 2025 changes this fundamentally: these defenses are largely set aside, and claims are to be decided on their merits. The U.S. Congress has passed the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery […]
- Arbitration Art law
Germany’s New Arbitration Court for Nazi-Looted Cultural Property: Key Procedural Features
On 1 December 2025, Germany’s institutional arbitration body for Nazi-looted art commenced operations, replacing the former Advisory Commission. For the first time, victims of National Socialist persecution and their legal successors have access to a formalised and legally binding procedure. Below are some of the key procedural features of the arbitration body for Nazi-looted art. […]
Art lawRobbed of Their “Oomph”: Ronald Perelman’s $410M Insurance Claim Over allegedly Fire-Damaged Artworks
Years after the fire in 2018, a prominent art collector and businessman Perelman claims that 5 artworks lost their spark, luster and depth and demands $410m for them. The insurance companies have argued that the works had “not sustained any detectable damages”.
Art lawRestitution of Nazi-looted art: New law aims to facilitate enforcement of claims
On April 17th, the German Federal Ministry of Justice proposed a bill to facilitate the enforcement of claims for the return of cultural property unjustly seized during the Nazi era. New provisions include information requests and rules regarding statutes of limitations.
Art lawNearly 80 years after the end of National Socialism: Germany to replace Nazi-loot advisory panel with binding arbitration
The Advisory Commission, formerly known as the Limbach Commission, dealing with the return of Nazi-looted art from Jewish owners, has been facing criticism for its inefficiency. Now, nearly 80 years after the end of National Socialism in Germany the federal government, states and local authorities agreed shaking things up by replacing it with an arbitration […]
