About Us

The following members, based in London and working globally, comprise the group’s core:


Our Team

Artive Inc

Database, title and claim check specialists

Art Recovery International LLC

Art recovery specialists

Art Discovery

Forensics and art research specialists

Vitruvian Arts Ltd

Brokerage and independent fine art consultants

Virtus Risk Management

Security and Due Diligence specialists

The 36 Group

A set of chambers with barristers specialising in art, property and commercial law.

Taylor Hampton Solicitors

Dispute resolution, litigation and reputation management specialists

Pandora Art Services Ltd

Training & Consultancy: Art Management on Superyachts

Malcolm Taylor Consultancy

Art Mediation Services

Group Member Profiles

Artive – Database (title and claim check specialists

ARTIVE is a new non-profit organisation headquartered in the United States of America with the vision to provide a universal, digital and searchable archive for works of art and cultural property. Our mission is to help protect the world’s cultural heritage – looted and illicitly transferred, stolen, missing and otherwise claimed – by recording and indexing data for posterity and preservation through the use of technology. The organisation will lead advocacy for the safeguarding of cultural heritage globally. We strongly believe in the power of community and hope to join forces with cultural institutions, governmental agencies, collectors, dealers and insurers on our way to identify, return, protect and preserve our cultural heritage. With an additional focus on curtailing the trade in illicit artefacts and works of art, with no small emphasis on Holocaust-era losses, the organisation has been provided with the world’s most technologically advanced database system to encourage greater transparency in sales and collections worldwide. Registrations & due diligence reports Artive provides an easy way to register and search objects against the database for any third party interests or claims. Artive registers any uniquely identifiable work of art, collectible or cultural property. We believe that it is important to offer victims of crime the best possible chance of locating and recovering their property. That is why registering your losses with Artive is free. We work with law enforcement agencies, private collectors, insurance companies, governments, financial and cultural institutions to source extensive loss records and data. Our database has also been developed to identify and address current risks in the art market. This means issues such as likely fakes and forgeries or archaeological sites threatened by illegal excavation can be registered as a contingency ahead of their appearance on the market. We use this information to identify any issue, claim or dispute that could impact on the title or value of a work of art, antique or cultural object and provide detailed due diligence reports on any searches submitted. For more details about Artive– see www.artive.org.

Art Recovery International, LLC. (art recovery specialists)

Art Recovery International (“ARI”) provides research, dispute resolution and art recovery services, offering our clients expert and ethical advice on the management, acquisition and return of cultural property. At every stage of every case, our discreet service offers our clients complete support, including: research into the provenance, legal title and authenticity of works of art expert advice on the review of potential claims mediation of complex title disputes identification and location of claimed cultural objects law enforcement support and liaison reputation and media management and recovery and negotiation of settlements for the return of cultural property We work closely with professionals in the international art market, law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to reduce the trade in illicit cultural heritage and are committed to the promotion of a professional, ethical art industry.

Art Discovery

Formerly Art Analysis & Research, Art Discovery is the leading art forensics and testing company in the world, providing authentication and attribution products to a market that experiences high levels of uncertainty due to both misattribution, and increasingly sophisticated forgers. Art forensics is the fascinating science that is applied to important works of art, which can significantly increase their value. Materials such as pigments and canvas fibres are analysed, helping to determine the age of objects and ultimately identify their origins. Clients range from auction houses to museums to private collectors and appraisers, each of whom depend upon forensic technology to complement the more traditional means of connoisseurship and provenance. When analysis is performed early in the process, the company helps to both mitigate risk and potentially considerably increase a work’s value. With escalating risks to the value of art, the authentication process is under vastly increased scrutiny, and the use of art forensics is one of the greatest technological market innovations of the 21st century. Art Discovery uncovers new and exciting revelations every day, behind old, modern and contemporary masters.

Vitruvian Arts Ltd. (fine art and luxury assets brokerage, independent fine art consultants)

Established in 2013 and run by Jessica Franses and Malcolm Taylor, Vitruvian is an independent fine art brokerage that assists buyers and sellers with high value art purchases as well as other luxury assets. Vitruvian only acts for one party in any one transaction and can help you with the entire art sales or purchase process, from buying art at auction or through private treaty, on-line, at an art fair or through a gallery to buying or selling privately between collectors. We find buyers for sellers’ artworks and source artworks for buyers. Vitruvian works with a team of expert of art consultants who are brought into relevant art transactions to assist with purchases and sales and to ensure that our clients have relevant expert input by art consultants who are specialists. Vitruvian refers clients to the ADDG for parts of the due diligence process and as a Group member can also assist and perform relevant stages of the due diligence process such as: assisting with the provenance research; reviewing any expert reports and advising and referring clients to experts; assisting with any sales documentation; assisting with arranging the contracts for sale; negotiating any terms of any sales; and concluding the sale process. Our art consultants also help to build, manage and curate collections, curate exhibitions and give educational seminars on art buying. We also have a corporate art service called VEDO (which is a joint venture with a central London gallery), which works with and represents contemporary artists and handles commissioning of bespoke artworks.

Virtus Risk Management (security and due diligence specialists)

Virtus Risk Management is an international risk and intelligence consultancy. We help you to understand and manage the risks relevant to your industry, make informed business decisions and deliver solutions that ensure your peace of mind. Since 2011, Virtus Risk Management has been helping people to understand their exposure to risk and offering advice, guidance and solutions to help you to protect what matters most. Our security risk management solutions to the art industry focus on providing intelligence on potential buyers, sellers and art brokers, making sense of complex holding structures and delivering transparency to any prospective transaction. We also provide strategic security risk consulting, assisting clients on secure transportation of assets, residential security architecture and advice and guidance on securing any potential purchase. Today, Virtus Risk Management competes in global markets with projects undertaken in over sixty-five countries through a trusted network of partners and associates. Our team continue to build upon the early success of our organisation, undertaking international projects for governments, corporations, leading law firms and financial institutions and our mission has not changed; we are driven to achieve results that ensure your peace of mind. How We Can Help Due diligence investigations – providing comprehensive reports on individuals and corporate entities to assist in managing financial and reputation risk. Security risk consulting – offering advisory services on secure transportation of artwork, protecting artwork post-transaction and implementing strategies to manage risk. Security design – offering security architecture, consultancy and project management services to ensure artwork is adequately protected.

The 36 Group Commercial Legal Team (art law and commercial law specialists)

The 36 Group (a set of Barristers’ Chambers) has an award winning art law team made up of several commercial law barristers. We deal with private collections and private clients internationally and within the UK. We advise and assist collectors, art buyers, art galleries, dealers, agents, art sellers, international lawyers, professional advisers, family offices, museums, designers and artists. We cover both contentious and non-contentious aspects of art law, including: contract drafting (from sales contracts, agent agreements, artist–agent agreements to exhibition loan agreements); advising as to and negotiating transactions; advising in respect of on provenance, good title and due diligence; mediation and alternative dispute resolution services; and specialist advice, drafting and advocacy in any matter contested at court. Members of chambers have handled a wide range of cases and matters involving problems with provenance and due diligence, problems at auction, title issues, cultural heritage issues, restitution issues, stolen artwork, national treasure laws, export and import licence issues, negligence, misrepresentation or negligent misstatement by experts, dealers and auctioneers, fraud and fakes, wills, trusts and tax issues as well as matters concerning damage and destruction of artworks and a range of consumer law issues concerning unfair contract terms, the quality and condition of artworks, advice given and disclosure of relevant information to the consumer. Members of chambers also work where appropriate with other relevant experts or professional advisers, such as tax law specialists, accountants, valuers, appraisers, art dealers, art historians, forensic scientists and shippers to ensure that clients receive specialist advice.

Taylor Hampton Solicitors (defamation and reputation management specialists)

Taylor Hampton Solicitors are dispute resolution, litigation and reputation management specialists based directly opposite the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, London. The firm and has recently been awarded the accolade of “Media Law Firm of the Year in England for 2021” in the Corporate International Global Awards. We act for many high profile and high net worth clients and has been instrumental in a number of recent landmark cases, many of which have led to changes in the law. We understand that disputes arising from high value art transactions are complex and multi-faceted, with important consequences to an individual or the artwork’s reputation. We are able to assist in resolving disputes that arise in relation to legal title, authenticity, contract, misrepresentation, negligence, reputation and risk management whilst understanding that a confidential and discreet approach is at all times paramount. How can we help? Dispute resolution: Dispute resolution in cases of defective title, provenance, authenticity and ownership. Insurance mediation. Defamation Privacy and confidentiality Protecting and managing reputation Art litigation: Disputes over ownership, provenance and authenticity Title disputes Property disputes Insurance disputes Liability defence / professional liability Claims by foreign governments Cultural and intellectual property: Protection and exploitation of intellectual property rights For more details about the defamation and reputation management team.

Pandora Mather-Lees is the first point of contact for the Art Due Diligence Group.

Pandora Art Services is a consultancy involved with training and development and advising on specialist services for Family Offices, the commercial art, luxury and creative industries. Art On Superyachts is a specialist risk management consultancy and training organisation for the care and protection of art on superyachts. The training offers three levels: Art Appreciation, Art Care & Management and Export Risk.

ArtOnSuperyachts.com conducts interior surveys and training to ensure onboard compliance and assistance to Insurance companies looking to underwrite coverage for art on board. Pandora Mather-Lees supports the marketing and business partnerships for the ADDG.

Malcolm Taylor Consultancy Ltd. (Art Mediaton services)

Mediation allows parties in dispute to seek to settle their differences themselves, in a private and confidential manner (which is particularly important in the world of art and cultural property). The parties jointly appoint the mediator, who is independent and impartial and who seeks to facilitate an agreement acceptable to all. The key issue is that the parties are provided with a structured environment, ordered and driven by the mediator, which allows them to negotiate their own settlement arrangements. The issues that can be discussed and considered can go far beyond the narrow constraints of a legal case and the parameters permitted by a court hearing. These can include reputational risk, continuing business or personal relations, practical arrangements and compromises beyond the scope of the claim and so on. Alongside the flexibility and confidentiality of a mediation, perhaps the most compelling further reason for considering this process is the one of costs. The reality of litigation today is that the cost is becoming out of proportion to the sums in dispute. That is without also factoring in the amount of management and emotional time and energy that is invested in a claim, which is often underestimated. Mediation allows a quick, informal and, in real terms, very cost effective opportunity to seek to settle the dispute without incurring those costs and risks. d Malcolm is a solicitor with over 30 years’ experience in an international commercial law firm in the City of London, where he became the Managing Partner and led the firm into merger with a larger national practice to create a top 40 international law firm. Subsequently he spent a number of years as chief executive of a leading set of barristers’ Chambers. He has also owned and managed a commercial art gallery in west London. Malcolm therefore brings a blend of legal, commercial, international and management experience to his mediation skills. Whilst fully conversant with the litigation process, Malcolm has spent the larger part of his career in finding solutions for clients’ commercial needs and tailoring outcomes that leave all parties satisfied. He has a practical, pro-active and common sense attitude and displays a relaxed and approachable manner. He was trained by CEDR (one of the leading mediation bodies) and is fully accredited by them.