As part of the 2025 Basel Winter Arbitration School, Sophie Grémaud, in-house counsel at Sotheby’s, delivered a keynote on arbitration in the art market. The topic is appropriate to the venue of the winter school because Basel is often called the cultural capital of Switzerland and a city of art with numerous museums and art galleries.
This keynote explored the distinctive features of the global art market, a vibrant and highly international sector valued at approximately USD 65 billion in 2023. Sophie Grémaud, a seasoned international dispute resolution lawyer, provided a comprehensive overview of the legal challenges that arise in this dynamic industry.
Topics included the complexities of authenticity disputes, provenance issues, and cultural heritage concerns, among others. Drawing on notable cases like Maria Altmann’s restitution claim for Nazi-looted Klimt paintings, the Knoedler forgery scandal, and disputes over works like Salvator Mundi, the lecture illustrated how arbitration could provide a confidential, efficient, and specialized forum for resolving such conflicts. By examining real-world examples, the keynote highlighted arbitration’s potential to address the complexities of cross-border claims, balance public interest with confidentiality, and foster innovative solutions in the evolving legal landscape of the art world.
Additionally, Sophie delved into the various initiatives aimed at promoting arbitration within the industry, such as the Court of Arbitration for Art, where she is listed as an arbitrator. The keynote also touched on broader trends and the future of dispute resolution in the art market, considering the impact of technological advancements and globalization.
About Sophie Grémaud
Sophie Grémaud is in-house counsel at Sotheby’s, formerly a Counsel at Clyde & Co in Paris and currently Vice-President of Arias France, the arbitration institution specialised in insurance and reinsurance disputes. She brings over a decade of experience as an international dispute resolution lawyer, representing corporations and states in high-stakes commercial and investor-state arbitrations across various sectors, including natural resources, infrastructures, distribution, M&A and financial services (including insurance and reinsurance). She also appears regularly before French courts, handling summary proceedings, set-aside and enforcement proceedings. Sophie is recognised as “technically excellent” and a “key lawyer” by Legal 500 and featured in the Arbitration Powerlist for France, Sophie is also ranked as “Ones to watch” in Best Lawyers (France). Sophie is admitted to both the Paris and the New York Bars. Her academic credentials include an LLM from Cornell Law School and advanced degrees from King’s College London and the University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne.
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