We frequently advise clients in the cultural sector (museums, archives, libraries, galleries, artists, collectors and dealers) on the acquisition, exhibition and sale of various forms of cultural property, including manuscripts, photographs, art and artefacts, archaeological finds and religious objects. The legal issues in this area often overlap, involving property (provenance, expropriation, conditional gifts), intellectual property, tax (conditional exemption, acceptance in lieu of inheritance tax), charity (the implications of charitable status for owners of cultural assets) and legislation such as the Treasure Act and the Government Indemnity Scheme. We understand the sensitivities which arise in relation to cultural property and the imperative for legal advice to reflect these.

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Contact: Cathleen Blackburn