Mona Yapova is a specialist in Art Law at Mishcon de Reya. Her practice spans advice on issues relating to the creation of art, the art market, and heritage protection. As a lawyer, art historian, and former artist, she has a natural ability to navigate both the legal and cultural angles of projects, transactions, and disputes alongside clients. She regularly advises on complex intellectual property disputes, structuring transactions from international loans to acquisitions and art commissions, disputes relating to title, attribution, and authenticity, international investigations and reputation protection, amongst others. The breadth of clients Mona advises include artists, artists' estates, collectors, galleries, art foundations, museums, government entities, and non-profit organisations.
Before joining Mishcon de Reya, Mona worked for the art law teams of two American litigation boutiques. She has also worked at Phillips Auctioneers, the Guggenheim Museum in Venice, and the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Mona has a dual background in English and French law and speaks fluent French. She is a published author and has been a guest lecturer at the Royal Academy Schools, the London School of Economics, King's College London, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. She is a founding member of the committee of the Art Lawyers Association, a member of PAIAM, and a member of the International Catalogue Raisonné Association.