REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE
Dr. Friederike Gräfin von Brühl, M.A.
Art-Related Dispute Resolution
Representing a major US art collector as claimant in a successful litigation with the result of
obtaining deletion of an unfounded entry of an artwork by Egon Schiele in the German Lost Art
database (LG Berlin, KG Berlin).
Lead counsel and defense representative winning a €5 million litigation over damage claims
regarding the attribution of an artwork by Yves Klein; obtaining dismissal of the alleged claims
in all three court instances (LG Berlin, KG Berlin and German Federal Court).
Lead counsel and defense representative for a world-renowned 20th century artist estate in an
attribution dispute; obtaining dismissal of alleged claims in all three court instances (LG
München, OLG München and German Federal Court).
Representing the Estate of Martin Kippenberger in the ongoing landmark dispute on the authorship
to the work "Paris Bar".
Representing a US artist estate as claimant in an ongoing court dispute with a German art
gallery regarding copyright infringement and restitution claims; obtaining the return of several
artworks misappropriated by the gallery and a successful court decision regarding copyright
claims concerning the distribution of an art edition (LG Frankfurt).
Representing Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein Gotha in the successful restitution negotiations of
the five old master paintings stolen from the city of Gotha in 1979, thus solving the biggest
and most legendary art theft in the history of the GDR.
Negotiating a settlement agreement to resolve title issues regarding a painting by Lucas Cranach
d.Ä.
Negotiating a settlement agreement for the heirs of an art collection to resolve a title dispute
concerning a painting by Auguste Renoir, which had been stolen from the stock of Ambroise
Vollard in 1939.
Negotiating the return of a client-owned sculpture by Constantin Brancusi located in the
confiscated inventory of an insolvent art gallery, with the result of obtaining the return of
the sculpture.
Advising numerous victims of the German Beltracchi art forgery scandal; obtaining successful
court decision by LG Köln concerning Campendonk's "Red Painting with Horses" and negotiating a
favorable settlement on this basis; filing the criminal complaint against art forger Wolfgang
Beltracchi.
Representing a German archdiocese on all aspects of art law, including a court dispute on a
sculpture looted in the turmoil of the Second World War, settling several restitution cases
regarding artworks looted by the Nazis, as well as copyright-related advice with regards to the
rights of architects concerning a church from the 1960s.
Representing numerous clients in art authentication disputes in German courts from various
different angles, including from the perspective of the authenticator refusing authentication,
the collector seeking authentication and the auction house refusing to sell without
authentication.
Other Art-Related Matters
Advising on the legal structure of an art investment club with an international investor base
and a US$17.5 million investment against art as collateral, including coordination of corporate
and tax teams in three different jurisdictions.
Advising an international asset management company in a complex cross-border financing project
involving five 20th century artworks as collateral.
Advising a major international art gallery on a permanent basis regarding templates and
negotiations of fabrication agreements, exhibition agreements, loan agreements and art
transactions.
Advising a German art museum on import restrictions under German cultural property law for a
work stolen as trophy art in the Second World War.
Successful negotiation and representation of a German private collection vis-à-vis German
cultural property protection authorities, which had initiated proceedings to register a valuable
old master painting as a cultural object of national importance, with the result that the
painting was exported and successfully auctioned in New York.
Advising an important German old master collection on various legal issues, including monument
protection, succession planning, corporate law and foundation law.
Advising a contemporary artist collective on the legal framework for a blockchain-based land art
project.
Representing a leading international technology and real estate development company on a
permanent basis on art-related commission, sponsorship and cooperation agreements.
Advising the estate of a famous German 20th century artist on the succession planning regarding
the transition of his estate from his daughter and wife to the generation thereafter.
Ongoing representation of a large international corporation's culture program in all legal
matters in the German market, including cooperations with international artists from the area of
fine art, architecture and music with a particular focus on, among others, art acquisitions,
concerts, work for hire arrangements, art-related commissions and sponsorships, as well as
creation of NFTs.
Advising a major US museum regarding restitution claims raised by a European country's
government via a request for mutual legal assistance.
Advising an artist studio on the realisation and handling of a drone light show.
Luxury, Fashion and Entertainment
Ongoing representation of an Italian fashion and luxury company in all legal matters in the
German market, including IP issues, agreements related to fashion shows and coordination of
legal advice on employment, real estate and insolvency law.
Representing an international provider of luxury goods in drafting and negotiating a licensing
and cooperation agreement with a virtual fashion and beauty influencer.
Representing a design agency in contract negotiations with a famous US rapper, who hired the
agency for the design and planning of his upcoming tour and album.
Advising and representing an international provider of luxury goods in various contract
negotiations regarding art and fashion shows, sponsoring, cooperations, exhibitions and events.
Advising on various licensing template agreements regarding a trademark-protected Japanese
cartoon character, including licensing agreements for digital content.
Legal advice to an investor collective regarding various complex agreements in the context of
the joint acquisition of an NFT.
Ongoing representation of Zoologischer Garten Berlin and Tierpark Berlin in various legal
matters, including cooperation and sponsoring agreements as well as IP-related advice.
Representing an international fashion company in different IP disputes in the German market,
inter alia negotiation of a settlement in the context of the successful defense against
an injunctive action against the distribution of large parts of the summer and winter collection
of a fashion label founded by the client.
