Steven Gallagher
Barrister, Associate Professor in Practice of Law
Steven has over 30 years of experience in advising in art law disputes. His areas of expertise include: authenticity of eighteenth and nineteenth century English paintings, silver, English clocks and watches, and Chinese export artworks with particular knowledge of Chinese reverse glass painting and export silver; Provenance research including chain of title issues affecting cultural property and legal mechanisms for recovery, limitation of such mechanisms, and compensation provisions; advising and negotiating sale and purchase of art and antiquities through private sale and auction; advising on agency relationships, commission and good faith provisions; contractual issues including misrepresentation, mistake and unfair contract clauses; advising on intellectual property issues involving art and antiquities in private and public collections including artist’s resale rights, photographic, digital and other reproduction rights, copies, fakes and forgeries; issues in insurance law including intervening events and the doctrine of proximate cause; exhibition, loan, licensing and leasing agreements for museum and private collections; art investment funds, including investment agreements with loan clauses; art and antiquities in security agreements, including traditional loans, mortgages, advances, factoring, and securitization; the international legal framework affecting cultural property and cultural heritage including the UNESCO, UNIDROIT and CITES Conventions; family and investment trusts including art and antiquities as trust property for wealth management, tax planning and succession purposes; inheritance disputes including validity and interpretation of wills; restrictions and licensing requirements in Europe and Asia for the import and export of art and antiquities including limitations effected on inclusion of endangered species (CITES).
Steven’s educational background includes University of Wolverhampton (LL.B. 2005, First Class); University of Wolverhampton (LL.M. 2006). Steven was called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray’s Inn in 2006.
Steven teaches Asia’s first and only art, antiquities, cultural heritage and the law course on the LL.M. programme at the Faculty of Law, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Steven has been interviewed for various media on issues affecting art and antiquities, and has published newspaper, magazine and academic articles on various aspects of the art and antiquities market.
Jurisdiction: U.K.; Hong Kong