Dr. Ruth Lecher

Ruth joined K&L Gates in January 2022. During her studies, she worked for the German Parliament and for a business law firm in Berlin, focusing on procurement policy and litigation. After her first legal state exam, Ruth continued her academic career with a doctorate at the Walther Schücking Institute for International Law at the Christian Albrechts University of Kiel in the field of cultural property law and studied art history at the Humboldt University of Berlin. She completed her legal clerkship at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin, including stages at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, a law firm specializing in art law in Geneva (Switzerland), and the Berlin office of K&L Gates with the Intellectual Property practice group. 

• Study of art history (M.A.), Humboldt University of Berlin

• "Einfuhrverbote für Kulturgüter. Zur Bekämpfung des illegalen Handels mit Kulturgütern im Unionsrecht und im deutschen Recht“, Evening Lecture - Book Talk, 21 May 2024, University of Innsbruck, Institute of Corporate and Tax Law
• “Kunstmarkt und Kulturgutschutz“, Lecture with Patrick Marré, 8 May 2024, Berlin Art Law Society, Humboldt University of Berlin
• “The Return of Cultural Property: a Moral or a Legal Obligation?”, Panel Discussion with Dr Pablo Gavira and Leva Wenzel, Stadt(ver)führungen 2024, 21 September 2024, International Nuremberg Principle Academy
• "Art & Arbitration: Insights into the Art Law Arbitration practice," Keynote speech at DIS40, Gallery Jarmuschek + Partner, Berlin, 23 August 2023
• "Art and Law: The Yugoslavian Partial Estate of Tilla Durieux" panel discussion, Georg Kolbe Museum Berlin, 6 July 2023
• "Art and Law," Lectureship Free University Berlin, Institute of Art History, summer semester 2023
• "Art Forgeries: Insights into the practice of art law," Study day Humboldt-University of Berlin, Institute of Art History, summer semester 2023

• Einfuhrverbote für Kulturgüter. Zur Bekämpfung des illegalen Handels mit Kulturgütern im Unionsrecht und im deutschen Recht (Import bans on cultural objects. On combating the illegal trade in cultural objects under EU and German law), Baden-Baden 2024
• Just another Art Market Hype – Kryptokunst als Wertanlage?, (Just another Art Market Hype - Crypto Art as an Asset?), Audit Committee Quaterly II/2022, p. 34-36.
• The United Nations Security Council’s Role in Protecting Cultural Heritage during Armed Conflicts, in: Widdig (eds.): Kulturgüterschutz im System der Vereinten Nationen. Eine interdisziplinäre Analyse, Baden-Baden 2021, p. 139-173 (together with Paul Fabel)
• Auf dem Prüfstand der Verwaltungsgerichtsbarkeit: die Einfuhrregelungen des Kulturgutschutzgesetzes. Anmerkung zu VG Karlsruhe, Urteil v. 24.06.2020 – 5 K 7747/18, (On the test bench of administrative jurisdiction: the import regulations of the Cultural Property Protection Act. Comment on VG Karlsruhe, Judgment v. 24.06.2020 - 5 K 7747/18), in: KUR 2020, p.165-168 (together with Dr. Felix M. Michl)
• Art Forgery and the Law: Impressions from the Legal Perspective, Rita Kersting, Petra Mandt (eds.), Russian Avant-Garde in the Museum Ludwig - Original and Fake: Questions, Research, Explanations, Cologne 2020, p. 196-203 (together with Dr. Friederike Gräfin von Brühl)
• VW/Diesel-Musterfeststellungsklage: Darf der vzbv die angemeldeten Verbraucher überstimmen? Und wenn ja: Entspricht das den Vorstellungen des Gesetzgebers?, (VW/Diesel model declaratory action: Is the vzbv allowed to overrule the registered consumers? And if so: Is this in line with the legislator's ideas?), Blog post, April 14, 2020 (together with Dr. Guido Waßmuth)