As a business owner, keeping informed about the finer points of employment law is important. If you're getting ready to hire your first employees, you need to be sure that you understand exactly what you can and cannot do. Don't risk getting yourself into legal trouble by asking the wrong question at the interview or making an off-hand comment that's considered legally unacceptable. I created this site to give you the basics of employment law expectations. I hope that the information here helps you to understand what you should and shouldn't do as you're interviewing and hiring your first staff members.
Irene Robertson
Many artists and art collectors face unique legal challenges, especially when they are creating or buying art that is considered to be controversial. If you own an art institute, you may also encounter challenges when owning a non-profit and remaining in compliance with state and federal regulations. Fortunately, there are art lawyers who not only specialize in law but are also highly familiar with the type of art that you need legal help with.
What to Expect
An art lawyer is often an art student who decides that they would like to take their passion for art to the courtroom. Art lawyers keep up on news related to various art scenes and are often visiting art galleries and purchasing art.
However, typically, an art lawyer focuses on a broad range of issues related to art and art transactions. Therefore, any questions you have may be answered and they will refer you to a different lawyer if they are not able to deal with a specific legal matter.
How to Know if Your Art is Considered to be Art
One of the challenges with art is that there are many types of objects that can be considered art. This not only includes traditional types of artwork such as paintings and sculptures but can include a broad range of objects including antiques and even Hollywood memorabilia. If you aren't sure if an art lawyer is able to help you, it never hurts to call for a free consultation.
For example, art lawyers will often also work to protect cultural property. Protected floral and fauna can be considered cultural objects and can fall under unique legal issues. You might want to create an art project but you may be concerned if the specific project you are considering is in violation of any laws restricting the collecting of protected species.
Legal Counsel for Overseas Art Transactions
One of the most common reasons to hire an art lawyer is to buy and sell artwork. This is especially true when the artwork is purchased overseas. There might be specific importing and exporting requirements that must be met so that the art that you intend to display can be imported.
In other countries, moral rights laws for a creator can be much broader and a creator can object to any modifications made to their own work. Therefore, you may need to consult with an art lawyer who has knowledge of international law so you do not run into any obstacles.