Partner – Head of Art, Lee & Thompson LLP
Sarah is a Partner at law firm Lee & Thompson LLP and heads up the firm’s dedicated Art and Fashion groups. Sarah acts for various HNWIs and UHNWIs (including well-known entrepreneurs, YBAs, collectors and art dealers), and for a range of corporates from SMEs to PLCs (including global art dealerships, auction houses, fashion and beauty businesses, tech companies, creative media agencies, fashion agencies, art fairs, private members’ clubs and other events businesses). She also acts as trusted advisor to a number of high profile individuals. Sarah is listed in “Who’s Who”, the recognised list of people influencing British life.

„The Spears 500“ lists Sarah in the Top Recommended Art Lawyers section as „Outstanding in field“. „Chambers & Partners HNW“ recommends Sarah for Art & Cultural Property Law where she is noted for being a “first rate lawyer” and “a wonderful art professional” who is “very grounded in the industry and really understands the art world”. „Legal 500“ ranks Sarah for Art & Cultural Property law, where her “in-depth knowledge of the art market and its nuances” is noted.

Sarah has lectured at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Arts Club. She has also written for „Apollo Magazine“. Sarah is a member of PAIAM (Professional Advisors to the International Art Market), AWITA (the Association of Women in the Arts) and the Institute of Art & Law.

Sarah is the former Chairman of the Royal Academy Schools’ Patrons Committee, and she sat for three terms on the Arts & Heritage Giving Committee for one of the UK’s largest philanthropic foundations. Sarah is currently a Governor of St Paul’s School in London and a Patron of the Contemporary Art

Art-Campus Founder

Colinne S. Bartel is the owner of AC Innovation GmbH. AC Innovation serves as a marketing and business development catalyst for entrepreneurs. As chief project manager, Ms. Bartel was responsible for capital expenditures and acquisition integration for an Advent International portfolio company that executed one of the fastest growing telecommunications buy & build projects in Europe. After finalizing her MBA and a research trip in East Africa in 2002, Colinne joined McKinsey & Company. Ms. Bartel holds a B.A. in Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles, an M.A. in International Relations from the Claremont Graduate School and a dual MBA in Strategy and Finance from The Peter F. Drucker School of Management and the EDHEC Business School. Her passions are sports, the arts and cultural exchange.

Regional Leader UK/Ireland – Art, Specie & Bloodstock
Having worked for Bonhams Auctioneers, Aon Artscope, AXA ART and Hiscox, Chris has experience of the world of art and collectables from both within and without the insurance industry. He has underwritten the policies of many of the world’s major museums, art institutions, galleries and collectors. He is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, an elected member of the Joint Specie Committee since 2015 and Chairman since September 2019, and a member of PAIAM (Professional Advisors to the International Art Market).

Specialisms
Fine art and collectables insurances of all types – including but not limited to paintings, sculptures, antiques, musical instruments, classic cars, and wine.

Christine founded Pi‐eX in London in 2014. The company provides innovative analytical and financial tools to help art collectors, dealers and investors better understand and manage risk and volatility in the fine art market. Over the past 20 years, Christine made a career of starting innovative businesses in changing markets. She started in 1998 PaintingsDIRECT.com, the first online art gallery in New York offering original artworks by more than 500 contemporary artists and in 2006 the first landscape design bureau in Moscow, Russia providing High Net Worth Individuals with turnkey solutions for the creation of large parks. Before starting her first business, Christine worked for Corporate Decisions, a strategy consulting firm in Boston, US, Apple Computer in Kiev, Ukraine and Procter & Gamble in Paris, France. Christine has a dual MBA/MA degree from the Wharton School and The Lauder Institute, School of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. She attained her Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialization in Finance from ESCP Europe, Paris France in 1990.

President Christie’s EMEA (Europe & UK, Middle East & Africa)
Prof. Dr. Dirk Boll studied law in Göttingen and Freiburg (Br.) and had his judicial traineeship in Stuttgart and Brussels. A post graduate study in Art Management in Stuttgart (Ludwigsburg) earned him a Master of Art degree. He wrote his Ph.D. thesis on distribution systems for art and the legal framework of the international art market. He joined Christie’s in 1998 in London in the 20th Century Art Department. Following four years as a German Christie’s representative based in Stuttgart, he moved to the Zürich office in 2004 to take over the position of Managing Director of Christie’s International AG, Switzerland. In 2011 he was appointed European Managing Director and moved his office to Christie’s London, King Street. In 2017 he took over the position of President Christie’s EMEA (Europe & UK, Middle East & Africa).

Joachim von Halasz has over 20 years of experience in financial services, investor relations and global media relations. He specialises in strategic cross border introductions and market entry advise in the asset management and wealth management sectors. He maintains strong networks between London, Frankfurt, Zurich and Geneva and is fluent in German and French.

He is the founder of the Tuesday Club, a think tank with global reach, focusing on political risk and asset allocation.

Before setting up VON HALASZ Consulting in 2010, he worked in house for four financial PR and Investor Relations consultancies: Brunswick, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Smithfield Financial and College Hill. Joachim was born and raised in Frankfurt and has been living in London for more than 20 years. He has a degree in Philosophy and Theology from Jesuit Colleges at Frankfurt and London universities.

Founder and CEO of The Fine Art Group
Philip is Founder and CEO of The Fine Art Group. The Fine Art Fund was the first fund of its type to invest in art. Since then, Philip has developed the business into a
market leader in both art investment and art advisory. Before launching The Fine Art Group, Philip Hoffman spent 12 years working for Christie’s auction house. He joined from KPMG, and at 33, became the youngest member of the Management Board and later served as the Deputy CEO of Europe. Now, with a team of art and finance experts based in London, Geneva, Amsterdam, New York, and Dubai, The Fine Art Group invests in rare art for investment purposes and currently advises some of the largest art funds in the world. The Fine Art Group is also a major participant in the auction underwriting arena, and has overseen the sales of multi-million dollar art works and in 2016 launched an art lending service. As a leading expert in art investment Philip is regularly asked to comment on the art market by the international press, including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Thomsen Reuters, The Art Newspaper and The Financial Times. In addition to this Philip has spoken at global conferences as a guest lecturer, these include the Milken Institute, London Business School and Credit Suisse. Philip is also on the Development Boards at both The National Portrait Gallery and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Sophie Lucas is Fair Director at The Other Art Fair, an international fair for emerging artists presented by Saatchi Art. She leads the Brooklyn, Chicago and Toronto editions. Over the past seven years, Sophie has been instrumental in international editions of The Other Art Fair in Australia and the US. In 2018, she successfully launched the Chicago edition at Mana Contemporary, Pilsen, and re-positioned the Brooklyn fair to present as a key satellite fair during Frieze NY week. Sophie has curated a variety of artist-led projects, working with artists from across the globe, and coordinated cultural partnerships with organizations such as Soho House & Co, The Big Issue and the Inside Out project. She sits on the board of The Sketchbook Project, Brooklyn, contributes as a Development Committee member to Hospital Rooms, London, and mentors at New Inc, the world’s first museum-led incubator for art, technology and design located in NYC. She is currently based between London and New York with regular travel to Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto.

CAIA, CIFD
Laura Merlini is a senior finance executive. Her professional path has been focused on promoting financial literacy and fostering sound governance practices. In her role as Managing Director for EMEA at the CAIA (Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst) Association, she has developed a deep knowledge of the European alternative investments industry. During her previous role at Credit Suisse (previously Fortis Prime Fund Solutions) in Milan, Madrid and Geneva, Laura advised on the areas of fund set-up, administration, banking and custody. Since her CAIA Charter Certification in 2007, she has been an active CAIA promoter and member-volunteer, not only as the co-founder of the CAIA Iberia Chapter (based in Madrid) in 2008, but also as the leading person of the CAIA Switzerland Chapter in Geneva since 2010. Additionally, she chaired the 100 Women in Finance Educational Committee in Geneva. Laura earned a BA in Business Administration at Bocconi University in Milan, received the CEMS MIM (Community of European Management Schools) MSc in International Management in 2002 and is a member of the Inaugural Class (2014) of the Executive Master in Positive Psychology, Leadership and Strategy from IE in Madrid. In 2015, she became a Certified Investment Fund Director accredited by the CIFD Institute in Ireland and, currently, is a member of the UN PRI HF Advisory Committee as well as a NED at Agave Advisors, an independent wealth manager firm based in Geneva.

Heiko Nemmert is one of the four founders of the international studio Baby Giant Hollyberg. As one of Baby Giant’s CEOs, he is responsible for overseeing the studio’s foreign affairs. He also co-manages the studio’s North-American business.

Heiko has over 20 years of experience in the media industry and managed several studios before co-founding Baby Giant. He helped produce numerous TV-programs and films for German public-service and private television.  During his early career days, he gained valuable knowledge in the online sector, working for brands such as Coca Cola, Kellogg’s, and Motorola.  Thanks to his deep understanding of the different media forms and distribution channels, he is a driving force in Baby Giant’s business development and technical development.

James Ratcliffe is General Counsel at the Art Loss Register (ALR) and leads their recoveries team. This requires close collaboration with insurers, law enforcement, lenders, the art market, and the victims of theft to work towards the recovery of hundreds of artworks each year. James trained as an archaeologist before qualifying as a solicitor. Having worked as a litigator in private practice in London for several years he then joined the ALR in 2013. As a trained mediator James focuses on the resolution of claims with recourse to the courts.

Head of Print Department, Sotheran’s 
Richard Sheperd works at Sotheran’s since September 2010. He became Head of the Print Department since 2013. Prior to this he worked at the O’Shea Gallery, a specialist gallery in antiquarian prints and maps.

Till Vere-Hodge is a senior associate in the Firm’s Art and Cultural Property Law group based at the London office.  Till works with international private collectors, art dealers and auction houses, galleries and museums, as well as art investors and advisors in relation to both, contentious and non-contentious matters.  Till has built up a particular expertise in handling restitution claims to looted artworks, in particular in the context of World War II. He advises clients on any legal, commercial, ethical and art market-specific aspects of restitution claims, including the planning and implementation of PR strategies. He is regularly called upon to lecture at various Art Law forums or comment in the media on matters pertaining to Art and Cultural Property Law. Recent examples include lectures at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art (London), the Royal Academy, the Federal Bar Council (New York), the New College of Humanities (London), the ARCA Art Crime Conference (Umbria, Italy), or the Art Market Day and the Centre Pompidou (Paris), as well as an interview for Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT 1’s main evening news bulletin.

The Art Loss Register (www.artloss.com) is the world’s largest private database of stolen, looted and missing art, antiques and collectibles, currently listing over 500,000 items. Registrations include stolen, missing, and looted works, as well as those subject to title disputes, freezing orders, and financial liens. Founded in 1990, it is the established art due diligence service used by the art trade, the insurance industry, law enforcement, lenders, museums, and collectors. For these clients, the Art Loss Register conducts around 400,000 searches each year to ensure objects are cleared in pre- or post-transaction due diligence or as part of an inventory check. Along with the database checks, the Art Loss Register’s specialists researchers review the provenance of items with a specific focus on Nazi-looting and recent theft and looting of antiquities. Through the checks, the Art Loss Register has identified and recovered items worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Once a registered work is identified, the Art Loss Register works with law enforcement where a criminal investigation ensues or, more often, directly with the parties on the efficient and discreet resolution of the complex ownership issues.

Constantine Cannon’s Art and Cultural Property Law practice consists of two partners, three associates and a number of paralegals at any given time dedicated to Art Law only. The practice assists clients with all legal issues relating to fine art and other collecting categories. Although London-based, the practice operates seamlessly on a global scale and collectively speaks French, German, Greek, Italian, Spanish, Hindi and Gujarati.

CFA Society UK (CFA UK) – professional membership body representing 12,000 investment professionals – promoting the highest standards of ethics, education and professional excellence. Part of the global network of member societies of CFA Institute. Our mission is to build a better investment profession by serving the public interest. CFA UK is the awarding body for the Investment Management Certificate (‘IMC’), an entry-level qualification and the recently launched Certificate in ESG Investing.

Pi-eX

Launched in 2014, Pi‐eX is a London based financial broker dealer focusing on Fine Art market
research and Fine Art‐based financial instruments. Pi‐eX’s mission is to provide art collectors and
investors with appropriate tools with which to identify trends and manage risk in the Fine Art market.

LEE & THOMPSON

Lee & Thompson is one of the UK’s leading law firms for the media, technology and creative industries.  2020 marks the firm’s 37th anniversary.  Since 1983, we have represented the interests of talented individuals and innovative businesses, while always prioritising two things – building a firm that understands the interdependence of the creative industries and being relentless when it comes to meeting the needs of all our clients, no matter how these needs develop and change.  We believe that this approach has allowed us to remain firmly at the top of our game.

Robert Lee and Andrew Thompson co-founded Lee & Thompson in 1983 and from the outset enjoyed a high profile, acting for well-known record labels and recording artists, many of which remain clients to this day.  Famously, the opening lyrics of Roxy Music’s 1972 debut single “Virginia Plain” are “Make me a deal and make it straight, all signed and sealed I’ll take it, to Robert Lee I’ll show it…”

Both Robert and Andrew are known for their professionalism, pragmatism and fairness and it is these qualities that have informed the development of the firm ever since its inception.  As it continues to develop and thrive, the firm seeks always to remain faithful to its original ambition of providing high quality legal services delivered by a team of industry-savvy, first rate lawyers striving always to remain true to the firm’s founding ethos and culture of professionalism, pragmatism and fairness.

Presented by Saatchi Art, The Other Art Fair is the UK’s leading artist fair to discover and buy art directly from the very best emerging artistic talent. With tri-annual fairs strongly established in London, The Other Art Fair has grown both in the UK and abroad with editions now in Sydney, Melbourne, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, with more to come! Our 19th London edition, The Other Art Fair at The Old Truman Brewery will continue to delight and inspire art lovers with a tightly curated and distinctive programme of fair features that will create a platform for the ‚unexpected‘ at the fair.

Founded in York in 1761, established in London in 1815, Henry Sotheran Limited has a long and distinguished history. For over 250 years we have been offering unsurpassed opportunities to collectors and enthusiasts, from the purchase of the libraries of Laurence Sterne in 1768, and Charles Dickens in 1870; the complete stock and copyright of the ornithologist and publisher John Gould; to the successful bid in 1980 for the final draft manuscript of Gilbert White’s Natural History of Selbourne, bought on behalf of the Gilbert White Museum.

Baby Giant Hollyberg is an American/ German innovative content studio focused on the production of high caliber computer-generated entertainment for worldwide audiences. Baby Giant specializes in the creation of healthy, sustainable IPs with exploitation potential in all media forms. The core foundation of all of Baby Giant’s animated projects is that they are unique and distinct ideas and stories set in fantastic imaginary worlds. The studio was founded in 2016 by the US/ Canadian-filmmaker Jimmy Hayward, the US producer Christopher DiGiovanni and the German producers Daniel von Braun and Heiko Nemmert.

The Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) Association, founded in 2002, is the world leader in alternative investment education. The CAIA Association is best known for the CAIA Charter. Earning the CAIA Charter is the gateway to becoming a member of the CAIA Association, a network of over 10,000 investment leaders located in 90+ countries. CAIA also offers the Fundamentals of Alternative Investments Certificate Program®, an online course that provides an introduction to alternative investing. CAIA is considered a leading authority on industry trends and developments worldwide. For more information, please visit CAIA.org.