In a recent mixed decision that some news outlets reported as a win for art and antique dealers and others described as a win for conservationists, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that the federal Endangered Species Act and its implementing regulations do not preempt

Continue Reading Elephant in the Courtroom:  The Second Circuit Finds No Preemption of New York State’s Ivory Law but Overturns Display Restriction

On February 3, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Germany in a dispute over whether American courts may preside over a lawsuit brought by the heirs of German Jewish art dealers who alleged that the Nazi regime coerced the 1935 sale of certain artworks.

Background

As
Continue Reading The U.S. Supreme Court Unanimously Holds in Favor of Germany and Against Heirs of German Jewish Art Dealers in Case Involving Nazi-Era Sale of Guelph Treasure

On August 14, 2019, Judge Lorna Schofield of the Southern District of New York entered an Opinion and Order in The Art & Antique Dealers League of America, Inc. v. Seggos, 18 Civ. 2504, ruling on the constitutionality of provisions of New York State Environmental Conservation Law § 11-0535-a
Continue Reading Art Dealers’ First Amendment Argument Against New York State Ivory Law Survives Motion to Dismiss

Last year, two trade groups of New York-based art and antiques dealers brought claims against New York State officials in the federal court for the Southern District of New York, seeking to invalidate a 2014 New York law that opens dealers up to criminal penalties for buying and selling antique
Continue Reading Arts and Antiques Dealers Await Judge’s Ruling on Challenge to Strict New York State Ivory Law