Amanda Gray

Personal Profile

Profile
More Details

Amanda Gray is a Partner in Mishcon Private, specialising in Art Law and the related field of Luxury Assets. She is Practice Lead for Art Law and chairs Mishcon's firm-wide multi-disciplinary Luxury Assets Group. Amanda is valued by her clients for her commercial, flexible approach and depth of knowledge across a diverse range of legal problems faced by those operating within the art market and luxury assets fields.

In addition to her Art Law practice, Amanda, as a long standing private client lawyer, has been able to bring her experience of dealing with sensitive personal situations to assisting bereaved families with inquests and advising clients on a range of medical negligence issues and loss of mental capacity.

An art law specialist with over 13 years experience, she is valued by her clients for her commercial and solution driven approach and depth of knowledge. Her client base includes collectors, dealers, auction houses, artists, public and private institutions and foundations. She assists clients across a diverse range of contentious and non-contentious legal problems faced by those operating within the art market and luxury assets fields. These include sale and purchase agreements, art and antique collection management, loan and agency agreements, artists' resale rights regulations, special projects, bringing new discoveries to the market place and advising the art market on anti-money laundering regulations.

Her specialist contentious work includes claims arising from due diligence issues including authentication and title claims, disputes arising out of breaches of contract, negligence and misrepresentation. Matters are often international, high value, and high profile with significant commercial and personal implications for the reputation and legacy of those involved.

As a leading member of our multi-disciplinary Luxury Assets Group, Amanda provides advice to clients on luxury assets including classic cars, bloodstock and jewellery, each with nuances individual to their respective fields.

Amanda is a Trustee of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA); the pro-bono General Counsel for Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft, Sussex, which houses the permanent collection of works by the Ditchling Guild and is a member of the Responsible Art Market committee, London Chapter.

Key Experience

Art Law

Advising an art dealer on contentious and reputational matters arising from the attribution of a number of Old Masters.
Advising an art collector and investor in a global art fraud concerning contemporary art works.
Advising a collector in a title dispute involving a number of auction houses over a 20th Century art collection and design pieces.
Advising an art investor on an injunction and a claim arising from the sale of a contemporary artwork and issues concerning non-resale clauses and market manipulation.
Advising an artist concerning their position and recovery of artworks following the insolvency of an international gallery.
Advising a gallery on international criminal and civil claims and delivery up of contemporary artworks following an international theft.
Advising an art investor on an international title claim regarding a consigned 20th century masterpiece.
Advising a church council on the discovery of a 16th century lost masterwork by Quentin Matsys.
Advising an art dealer on a Holocaust looted art claim by an individual on an Old Master.
Advising an heir seeking restitution of a Holocaust looted artwork from a public institution in the UK.
Advising a collector on the importation, attribution and potential resale of an antique coin collection within the UK.
Facilitating an art foundation on the recovery of stolen artworks.
Advising consignors on a multi-jurisdictional dispute and stakeholder claim involving an auction house over the ownership of an art collection.

Luxury Assets

Advising a claimant company on a high value unlawful means conspiracy, including claims for breach of fiduciary duties and breach of contract claim, concerning a museum quality classic car collection.
Defending a collector on claims regarding the race history and authenticity of a known classic car.
Advising a classic car collector on a dispute with an auction house regarding representations on condition and authenticity.
Advising a client on a dispute arising from the renovation of a classic car.
Advising a purchaser on title and attribution issues following the acquisition of a classic car at auction, [2015] EWHC 3257 (Comm).
Assisting an international client with the importation of horses into the United Kingdom.
Assisting clients with part-ownership arrangements of a high value international dressage horse.
Advising a client on a dispute with a number of auction houses on the authenticity and condition of jewellery purchase.

Court of Protection

Acting for members of a high profile family in a complex Court of Protection matter responding to an injunction involving deprivation of liberty

Inquests

Acting for a number of bereaved families regarding the death of a child, the suicide of a family member, an accidental death and death following surgery

Recent speaking engagements/conferences:

Speaker at Christie's Art Business course, "Authenticating Art in the Digital Age", May 2018
Christie's Education students, London, "Introduction to Art Law", March 2018
Royal Academy workshop, "Managing the Artist’s Legacy: Planning for the Future", London, March 2018
Speaker at "Art, Investment and Cities" Forum, London, January 2018
ESCP Executive Specialised Master's Programme, "International Wealth Management – Art: Legal & Tax", London, December 2017
Royal Academy Professional Practice, "Entering the Art Market: Avoiding the Pitfalls-Business, Contract and Intellectual Property", London, December 2017
York University Art and Law students, London, "Introduction to Art Law", October 2017

Contact Information

Services

Amanda has a firm grasp of art law in London and the UK. She works very well on international collaborations. She is also someone that is really involved in litigation and really watches out for her clients to make sure they are well protected.
Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2023

She knows everyone and everything there is to know. She can anticipate fraudsters' moves before they do it themselves. She is the best.
Chambers and Partners 2023

She's a very engaged and intelligent person who's very much involved in the arts. She's not really doing a job and then going home, she lives for it.
Chambers and Partners 2023

Amanda Gray is a fantastic solicitor: incredibly smart yet entirely approachable.
Legal 500 2023

I really like working with Amanda. She is very smart, very creative and very detailed.
Chambers & Partners HNW 2022

Amanda is doing incredible things. She is really taking things on in a very impressive way. She's really sharp and excellent at negotiating.
Chambers & Partners HNW 2022

Amanda Gray is successfully carving out a reputation as a leading art lawyer. Like Karen, she is great to work with but also has the capability to be steely when required.
Legal 500 2022

Has enormously comprehensive knowledge.
Chambers HNW 2021

Exceptional for art law matters. She has good analytical skills and is able to quickly grasp a complex situation.
Chambers and Partners 2021

Recommended Lawyer

Amanda Gray is superb. She has a mastery of art law like almost no one else. She can manage a dispute from beginning to end and will always get the best result for her client. She is the go-to option for anyone with a dispute on their hands.
LEGAL 500 2021