(Webcast) The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act in Art and Antiquities Matters

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 | 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm

• Description
• Faculty
• Agenda
• CLE Credit
• Sponsors

• With two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this year related to the application of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) to art matters (Philipp v. Federal Republic of Germany and Republic of Hungary v. Simon), it is the opportune time to examine the intersection of these areas. Whereas the FSIA has been applied to invoke jurisdiction over foreign sovereigns in fine art disputes, the FSIA was first cited in an antiquities dispute only two years ago. The panel will examine the history of sovereign immunity, the passage of the FSIA in 1976, its subsequent application in a number of historic art law cases, and its recent invocation in antiquities disputes.

  Program Fee:
  $119 for Members | $219 for Nonmembers
  Small Law Firm: $69 for Members

  Members who are Recent Law Graduates, Newly Admitted Lawyers (admitted for the first time in any state or country 2019-2021), In-House/Corporate Counsel, Judges, or attorneys that practice within the Government, Academic or Not-for-Profit sectors attend this program for free.

• Laina C. Lopez
  Partner at Berliner Corcoran & Rowe LLP

  Nicholas O’Donnell
  Partner at Sullivan & Worcester

  Yael M. Weitz
  Associate at Herrick Feinstein

• Agenda

  12:00 pm – 12:03 pm
  Introduction to the Art Law Committee
  Diana Wierbicki, Chair of the Art Law Committee

  12:03 pm – 12:05 pm
  Introduction to the Speakers
  Leila A. Amineddoleh, Program Chair

  12:05 pm – 12:20 pm
  Background of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)
  Laina C. Lopez
  Ms. Lopez will discuss the passage of the FSIA, its legislative history, and the initial applications of the Act.

  12:20 pm – 12:40 pm
  Application of the FSIA in Art Ownership Disputes
  Yael M. Weitz
  Ms. Weitz will discuss the FSIA’s application in art law matters, with an emphasis on Holocaust era restitution cases, including Altman v. Austria (the “Woman in Gold” case)

  12:40 pm – 12:55 pm
  Discussion of Two FSIA Cases Pending in the U.S. Supreme Court
  Nicholas O’Donnell
  Mr. O’Donnell will discuss the application of the FSIA in two high-profile cases before the Supreme Court, including Philipp v. Germany.

  12:55 pm – 1:15 pm
  Analysis of the FSIA in Antiquities and Cultural Heritage Disputes
  Leila A. Amineddoleh
  Ms. Amineddoleh will discuss the Act’s recent invocation in antiquities disputes.

  1:15 pm – 1:30 pm
  Q & A

• New York: 1.5 Professional Practice
  New Jersey: 1.5 General
  California: 1.5 General
  Pennsylvania: 1.0 General
  Connecticut: Available to Licensed Attorneys

• Sponsoring Association Committee:
  Art Law, Diana Wierbicki, Chair

  Sponsorship Opportunities are Available! Please Contact:
  Angie Avila, Manager, Membership Outreach and Sponsorships | (212) 382-6608 | aavila@nycbar.org