Dr. Friederike Gräfin von Brühl, M.A.

Friederike lectures copyright and art law at Freie Universität Berlin since 2010. She has contributed the German Chapter to all three editions of the “Art Collecting Legal Handbook”, Thomson Reuters, from 2013 to 2023 and regularly publishes in professional journals and handbooks. Before joining K&L Gates in November 2008, Friederike worked in the Hamburg office of another international law firm, where she also focused on intellectual property and art law. She studied law and art history in Freiburg i. Br., Bonn and Paris and continued her academic career with a doctorate on the "Market Power of Art Experts as a Legal Problem" at the University of Lausanne (summa cum laude). She was admitted to the bar in 2006 and is an accredited “Specialist Lawyer for Copyright and Media Law” (Fachanwältin für Urheber-und Medienrecht).

• Band 1 ranking by Chambers Europe High Net Worth guide for Art and Cultural Property Law in Germany, 2022-2025
• Recognized as leading practitioner in Art Law by The Best Lawyers in Germany™/Handelsblatt, 2018-2025
• Recognized by The Legal 500 EMEA as a Next Generation Partner for Entertainment in Germany, 2024-2025
• Recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” for the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers^®
• Recognized by the German magazine Der Spiegel as being “among the best art law experts of the Republic”, 2020
• Recognized in “The Power List: Top Female Attorneys in the Art World” by ArtSheSays, 2020
• Alumna of the Scholarship of the German Nation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)

Friederike is a member of the Court of Arbitration for Art (CAfA) at the Netherlands Arbitrage Institute in The Hague (NAI), after having been an active member of the working group charged with its design and, ultimately, launch. She is also active on the advisory boards of several art charities, including of the Freunde der Nationalgalerie e.V. and Leap Art Foundation. Furthermore, Friederike is a member of GRUR (German Association for Intellectual Property), Tönissteiner Kreis e.V. and Collections Legal and an appointed Academician of The International Academy of Estate and Trust Law.

• “An update on provenance and its impact on the marketability of artworks”, Panelist at the Art Lawyers Association Conference in Berlin, 25 April 2025
• „Art and Tax“, Speaker at NFEP Conference in Frankfurt, 20 January 2025
• “Art and Plagiarism”, Panelist at “Salon zum Geistigen Eigentum“, Grisebach, Berlin, 11 July 2024
• „Perspective de droit allemand“ (German law perspective) at the conference co-hosted by the Geneva-based Art Law Foundation and Art Law Center, “Obligation to Restitution?” (Restitution Obligation?), University of Geneva, 15 February 2024
• „The role of the Lost Art Database in legal practice” Speaker at NFEP Conference in Frankfurt, 4 December 2023 
• “Copyright and Artist Estates”, Speaker for the Institute for Artist Estates, 28 September 2023, Schwante, Germany
• “The Washington Principles and the art trade”, Speaker at the Annual Meeting of The International Academy of Estates and Trust Lawyers, 25 May 2023, National Library, Vienna
• “The dark side of the art market”, Speaker at Humboldt Art Law Society, Berlin, 12 January 2023
• “The three nightmares of the art trade”, Speaker at the “Kunst im Nachlass” conference hosted by Private Wealth Management Alumni e.V., Silent Green, Berlin, 18 November 2022
• “Avantgarde, Art Market and Crime - The Dark Side of the Boom,” Speaker at the Symposium “Russian Avantgarde: Original and Fake”, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, 7 November 2020
• “Wer kann da noch ruhig schlafen? Werkverzeichnis und zivilrechtliche Haftung”(Who can still sleep soundly? List of works and civil liability), Speaker at the Conference by the German Catalogue Raisonné Working Group (Arbeitskreis Werkverzeichnis), Staatliche Kunstsammlungen in Dresden, 15 October 2020
• “Fakes! How, When and Why! - Wolfgang Beltracchi,” Teaching Engagement at The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 19 November 2019
• “Cultural Property Law,” Panelist at the Art Business Conference, London, 4 September 2019
• “Disputes on art sales - What makes galleries close down and auctioneers wake up at night?” DIS Autumn Conference, Berlin, 26 September 2018
• “Arbitration and Litigation in the Art Market,” Speaker at the Art Business Conference, London, 1 September 2018
• “The new Court of Authentication in Art from a European perspective,” Speaker at the Authentication in Art Conference, The Hague, 8/9 June 2018
• “Art and Inheritance,” Speaker at 3rd Estate Planner Forum, Berlin, 28 March 2017
• “Who is supervising the supervisors? The Power of Art Experts in the Light of Antitrust Law,” Speaker at the Geneva Art Law Foundation Conference, Geneva, 8 November 2016
• “Art and Dispute Resolution,” Speaker at the DIS40 Autumn Conference, Berlin, 27 September 2016
• “Keeping the Legacy Alive,” Chair of Panel on Catalogues Raisonnés - When Form is Function, The Institute of Artist Estates, Berlin, 14/15 September 2016
• “The ABC of art purchase agreements,” Speaker at “Die Betreuung privater Vermögen - Recht und Steuern”, Forum - Institut für Management, Frankfurt, 10 July 2015
• “The Catalogue Raisonné: The legal perspective,” Speaker at Art and Law Conference jointly held by Art Basel and Universität Basel, Basel, 19 June 2015
• “The growing relevance of purchase agreements and due diligence in the art market,” Chair of Panel at Art Congress Cologne, Euroforum, Cologne, 17 April 2015
• “ABA Section of International Law,” Panelist at Europe Forum 2015, Berlin, 27 March 2015

• „Werkverzeichnis und juristische Haftung“ (Catalogue Raisonné and Legal Liability), in: „Handbuch Werkverzeichnis“ (Handbook Catalogue Raisonné), de Gruyter, Berlin-Boston 2023 
• “German Chapter”, in: The Art Collecting Legal Handbook, B. Boesch, M. Sterpi (eds.), third edition, Edward Elgar, Oxford 2023
• “Immer und immer wieder: Gotha schreibt Rechtsgeschichte” (Again and Again: Gotha is writing Legal History) in: „Zurück in Gotha: Die verlorenen Meisterwerke“ (Back Again in Gotha: The Lost Masterpieces), Exhibition Catalogue, Imhof Verlag, Petersberg 2021
• “The Art Forgery in Law, Russian Avantgarde in the Museum Ludwig,” R. Kersting, P. Mandt (eds.), Köln 2020, pp. 124-131, together with Ruth Lecher
• “Quis custodiet custodes ipsos? The monopoly power of art experts in the light of anti-trust law,” Risques et périls dans l'attribution des oeuvres d'art: de la pratique des experts aux aspects juridiques, Anne-Laure Bandle, Frédéric Elsig (eds.), Geneva/Zurich 2018, pp. 72-83
• "Germany, a chapter on the legal situation in Germany,” in: The Art Collecting Legal Handbook, B. Boesch, M. Sterpi (eds.), second edition, Thomson Reuters, 2016, pp. 119-130
• "Standards of Care in the Art Market: A Comparative Study on What is Expected of Buyers, Sellers and Consignors in the United States, Germany and England," Art, Antiquity and Law, Vol. XXI, April 2016, pp. 1-30, together with Birgit Kurtz and Gregor Kleinknecht
• “Der Catalogue Raisonné im Recht" (The Catalogue Raisonné in the Field of Law), in: Kunst & Recht (KUR) 2015 / Art & Law 2015, Presentations of the same-named event at the Basel University Faculty of Law, Peter Mosimann, Beat Schönenberger (eds.), Bern 2016, pp. 15-27 (German article)
• “Deutsches Fluchtgut als Rechtsproblem” (German Flight Art as Legal Problem), in: Fluchtgut - Geschichte, Recht und Moral, Presentations of the Conference at Museum Oskar Reinhart in Winterthur on 28 August 2014, Peter Mosimann, Beat Schönenberger (eds.), Bern 2015, pp. 149-160
• "E-Mail-Überwachung am Arbeitsplatz" (Monitoring Emails at Work), in: Zeitschrift für Datenschutz (ZD), 9/2015 edition, pp. 415-421 (German article)
• “Germany, Chapter on the legal situation,” in: The Art Collecting Legal Handbook, Bruno Boesch, Massimo Sterpi (eds.), Thomson Reuters, London, 2013, pp. 119-130
• „Cyberbedrohungen: Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen und praktische Lösungen" (Cyber threats: Legal framework and practical solutions), in: Der IT-Rechtsberater 2013, pp. 260-263
• „Sorgfaltspflichten von Kunstauktionshäusern” (Due diligence of auction houses), in: Kunst und Recht (KUR), Tagungsband zur Basler Kunstrechtstagung vom 15. Juni 2012, Peter Mosimann, Beat Schönenberger (eds.), Basel, 2012
• „Wie es Euch gefällt? Zum Antagonismus zwischen Urheberrecht und Eigentümerinteressen” (As you like it? On the Antagonism between Copyright and Ownership Interests), in: Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht (GRUR) 2012, pp. 126-133, together with Dr. Lucas Elmenhorst
• „Nach dem Urteil” (After the judgement), in: Weltkunst, Nr. 11/2011, p. 104
• „Sorgfaltsstandards im Kunsthandel: Vertrauen ist gut, Kontrolle ist besser” (Due Diligence Standards in the Art Market: Trust is good, control is better), in: Artnet, 21 June 2011
• “Kein Zugang zur Art Basel – eine kartellrechtliche Anmerkung” (No access to Art Basel – a comment under anti-trust law), in: Kunst und Recht (KUR) 2011, pp. 110-112, together with Dr, Lucas Elmenhorst) 
• „Rechtsschutz durch die europäischen Gerichte / Rechtsschutz durch die deutschen Gerichte” (Legal Protection under European Courts / Legal Protection under German Courts), in: Zivilrecht unter europäischem Einfluss, M. Gebauer / T. Wiedmann (eds.), 2nd edition, Stuttgart-München 2010, pp. 2335-2379, together with S. Wienhues
• „Der Begriff der Echtheit von Kunstwerken im Zivil- und Strafrecht” (The Authenticity of Works of Art under Private and Criminal Law), in: Kulturgüterschutz – Kunstrecht – Kulturrecht: Festschrift für Kurt Siehr, K. Odendahl / P. J. Weber (eds.), Baden-Baden 2010, pp. 303-312
• „Kunstexperten in Justitias Armen” (Art Experts in the Arms of Justitia), in: Handelsblatt, 4./5.12.2010, pp. 82-83
• „Der Hundekorb im Museum – Leihverträge zwischen Museum und Sammler" (The Dog Basket in the Museum – Loan Agreements between Museums and Collectors) in: ArtValue, no. 7, vol. 4, 2010, pp. 59-61
• „Auslandsverlagerung und Käuferumlage - Wie der Kunsthandel die deutsche Folgerechtsabgabe vermeidet” (Shifting abroad or to the clients - Art Dealer's Strategies to Avoid the German droit de suite), in: Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht (GRUR), 2009, pp. 1118-1122
• „Kunstexpertisen als Machtfaktor – die Position des Außenstehenden” (Art Authentication as a Matter of Market Power – the Position of the Outsider), in: Kulturgüterschutz – Künstlerschutz, Tagungsband des II. Heidelberger Kunstrechtstags, Weller/Kemle/Lynen (eds.), Volume on the occasion of the 2nd Heidelberger Kunstrechtstag, Nomos Verlag, Baden-Baden, 2009, pp. 179-194
• „Marktmacht von Kunstexperten als Rechtsproblem” (Market Power of Art Experts from the Legal Perspective), Nomos and Carl Heymanns, Cologne/Munich, 2008
• „Große Münze oder kleine Münze? Zum Abbildungsschutz bei Münzen und Medaillen” (Big or Small Coin? Picture Rights of Coins and Medals), in: Kunst und Recht (KUR), 2008, pp. 120-124
• "Le pouvoir de l'expert face au droit de la concurrence" (The Influence of Experts from the Perspective of Antitrust Law), in: L'expertise et l'authentification des œuvres d'art, Etudes en droit de l'art, Vol. 19, Marc-André Renold / Pierre Gabus / Jacques de Werra (eds.), Schulthess Zürich 2007, pp. 135-147
• „Der Abkauf von Wettbewerb aus Kartellrechtssicht” (The Purchase of Competition in the Context of Antitrust Law), in: Wirtschaft und Wettbewerb (WuW), issue 1/2007, pp. 18-25, together with T. Mäger
• „Die Schweiz und die Raubkunst” (Switzerland and Looted Art), in: OSTEUROPA, 56th volume, issue 1/2006, pp. 341-353, together with T. Giovannini, M.-A. Renold, C. Olsburgh
• „Die Fusion von Stiftungen” (The Merger of Foundations), in: Stiftung & Sponsoring, supplement “Die Roten Seiten,” issue 3/2005, together with C.-H. Heuer

• 6 July 2021, THE NEW YORK TIMES, “Did the Nazis force an art sale? The question lingers 88 years later” by Catherine Hickley ("It can be very difficult to determine whether a sale was under duress or not,” says Friederike von Brühl, a Berlin-based lawyer specialized in art law. “In practice, we are looking at numerous criteria: Was the purchase price adequate? Was the seller free in spending the proceeds? When exactly was the sale?”)
• 7 January 2021, THE ECONOMIST, “New tools are making it easier to authenticate paintings,” by Bruce Clark (“Canvases rescued from Stalin present specific problems, but tracing the story of a 17th-century Old Master … can be just as fraught,” says Friederike von Brühl, a Berlin-based art lawyer. “If great collections were to turn the full light of science on their venerable oil paintings,” she reckons, “they will find many wrong attributions.”)
• 23 January 2020, Interview in TAGESSCHAU and TAGESTHEMEN (German national evening news) on the return of the 5 old master artworks stolen from the city of Gotha in 1979
• 17 January 2020, DER SPIEGEL, “Wie die Alten Meister wieder auftauchten,” by Konstantin von Hammerstein (Friederike Gräfin von Brühl has advised him so. The Berlin-based lawyer is among the best art law experts of the Republic. / Friederike Gräfin von Brühl hat ihm zugeraten. Die Berliner Anwältin zählt zu den besten Kunstrechtsexperten der Republik.)
• 6 December 2019, DEUTSCHLANDFUNK, “Gemälde als spektakulärem DDR-Diebstahl wieder da,” by Stefan Koldehoff and Tobias Timm (Juristisch dagegen ist im Fall Gotha vieles längst verjährt. Strafrechtlich können wegen des damaligen Einbruchs keine Vorwürfe mehr erhoben werden, erklärt die Berliner Rechtsanwältin Friederike von Brühl, die in dieser Sache die Stiftung Schloss Friedenstein vertritt.)
• 29 September 2016, THE NEW YORK TIMES, “Cultural Property Protection Law comes under fire in Germany,” by Conrad De Aenlle (If that is an intention of the law, it may backfire, said Friederike Gräfin von Brühl, a partner in Berlin for the law firm K&L Gates who focuses on art issues. German tax rules confer benefits on collectors who lend their works to public institutions, but the raised profile that comes from public exhibition has made some clients reluctant to lend their art, regardless of the breaks, Ms. von Brühl said. “I hear from collectors that they don’t want to put works on display because they will become known and be considered part of the national heritage,” she said.)
• 6 November 2013, THE WALLSTREET JOURNAL, “U.S. pushes Germany for details of art cache,” by Mary M. Lane und Harriet Torry ("The Gurlitt find is crazy, everyone in the art world knew about Gurlitt and his role, but it was thought the paintings had been lost," said Friederike von Brühl, a lawyer for K&L Gates LLP specializing in art.)
• 7 December 2012, HANDELSBLATT, “Ende eines Zivilstreits,” by Christiane Fricke (Der befriedigende Ausgang war möglich, weil Friederike Gräfin von Brühl, Rechtsanwältin der die Trasteco vertretenden Kanzlei K&L Gates, Berlin, nicht nur gegen Lempertz, sondern auch gegen den Fälscher Wolfgang Beltracchi und seine Frau Helene prozessiert und in beiden zivilrechtlichen Verfahren in erster Instanz gewonnen hatte. Auf dieser Grundlage sollen nun aus dem Vermögen beider Schuldner, von Lempertz und dem Ehepaar Beltracchi, Teilbeträge an Trasteco geflossen und damit der gesamte Schaden ersetzt worden sein. Rechtsanwältin von Brühl: „Wir sind sehr zufrieden mit dem Ausgang des Verfahrens. Sämtliche Schäden unserer Mandantin sind ausgeglichen.“)
• 16 May 2012, TAGESSPIEGEL, “Kunstfälschung - Ein Pferd auf der Flur,” by Christiane Fricke (…und letztlich kam hier alles ins Rollen, weil 2008 die Berliner Rechtsanwältin Friederike von Brühl eine Zivilklage gegen das Auktionshaus anstrengte.)