Art disputes and mediation

Anne-Sophie previously served as the co-chair of the Art and Cultural Heritage Committee at the International Bar Association. She is a co-founder and managing partner at Borghese Associés, a Paris-based boutique law firm with a focus on Art and Cultural Heritage Law. Specializing in art-related disputes, Anne-Sophie has developed a strong expertise in criminal law and intellectual property. She represents a diverse clientele including artists, collectors, and art dealers, particularly in restitution cases and in high-profile cases involving forgery, theft, and illicit trafficking. Additionally, Anne-Sophie’s practice extends to advising auction houses, heirs, dealers, galleries, and collectors on contractual negotiations, as well as on national and international matters pertaining to cultural and heritage property and intellectual property rights.

With over 30 years of practice in Paris, France as a business lawyer in commercial litigation, international arbitration and negotiations, I work exclusively as commercial mediator on the resolution of complex and emotional legal conflicts, mainly in transnational and intercultural environments. I am a certified (IMI, in Germany, in France IFCM) and experienced mediator with a legal background in intellectual property, IT, licences, distribution, competition, complex industrial projects, and international business law. I have been involved in investment mediations in the telecommunications, oil and gas sectors. From 1988 to 2019, I practiced as founding partner at BMH AVOCATS, Paris. I am a member of the Munich (Rechtsanwalt) and Paris (avocat honoraire) Bars. www.martinhausermediation.com

Kamala heads the Art law, Intellectual Property, Media, Technology, and Data Protection practice at the firm. She works on the management of intellectual property including trademark prosecution, copyright registration, licensing, and brand stratergy for both start-ups and large companies. Through her expertise in protecting luxury assets, she has built a specialist Art law practice including advising on NFTs, buying of paintings and sculptures for private collections, setting up trusts to house private collections and also assists high-net-worth individuals more generally on structures for investment and succession planning. Kamala is a trained mediator and has represented clients as counsel in commercial mediations and is available to sit as a neutral through Simha Law, Singapore. She has also worked on case management for large and complex arbitrations and disputes. Kamala studied law at the University Law College, Bangalore and completed her Masters in Intellectual Property Law at The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C. Kamala began her career at her family-run law firm, Sundaraswamy, Ramdas & Anand, after which she co-founded JustLaw. She then went on to set up Aarna Law with Mr. Shreyas Jayasimha. As Managing Partner, she has started various initiatives to bring more women back into the workforce, including offering flexible work hours and integration of technology into the practice of law. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, these technologies allowed for a seamless transition to a work-from-home arrangement for all members of the Aarna team.

My practice focuses primarily on complex civil litigation. I represent manufacturers, individuals, investment advisers, banks, and others around the world in contract, securities, consumer protection, tort and domestic relations cases, with particular experience in the German-speaking world. I am the practice group leader of the firm's Art and Museum Law group. I represent museums, galleries, auction houses and collectors in litigation on issues that range from World War II restitution claims to commercial disagreements, and advise them on transactional, intellectual property, and ethical issues.