There can be few areas of law more exciting, glamorous and complex than the art world. It is a field that Boodle Hatfield, one the UK’s pre-eminent legal brands in the private wealth sector, has led for decades.
Yet building a reputation and a strong client following in the art market calls for a more creative approach than dry technical legal updates. You need to show that you are immersed in their world, says Stella Smith, the Business Development Director at Boodle Hatfield.
And that is where the multiple award-winning Art Law & More blog leads the way.
The blog was first created back in 2015 – the brainchild of the lawyers in the firm’s art market team and brought to life by the firm’s marketing and business development team.
“The idea was to bring to our clients and those interested in the art market a mix of stories from across the global art world together with occasional legal pieces. We wanted to show that we are more than just lawyers,” explains Stella.
Art Law & More uses external writers, often art graduates, covering a wide range of stories and issues. Recent posts include the botched restoration of Bartolome Esteban Murillo’s painting of the Virgin Mary to the recovered stolen Banksy from an Italian farmhouse.
“Writers are given pretty much free reign to write on what interests them, but with the guiding hand from the firm,” says Stella. “It’s what stands it apart from other art law blogs.”
And since its launch, Art Law & More has picked up a host of accolades including Citywealth’s Best Digital Campaign and named as one of the world’s 10 best art law blogs by Swiss art magazine Widewalls.
Today, Art Law & More goes from strength to strength, with 2,762 individual subscribers, 2,122 followers on Twitter and, 780 Instagram followers in just six months.
“Art Law & More shows our genuine passion for the art world and not just art law,” explains Stella. “And it is developing beyond a simple blog into a thriving and interactive community. During the Covid lockdown, we have held art market quizzes, guest posts where individuals have shared their lockdown experiences and a virtual tour of street art in Shoreditch.”
The blog also provides a focus for Boodle Hatfield’s wider involvement in the art market, including is sponsorship of the Mayfair Art Weekend (25-27 September 2020), signposting exhibitions, and supporting young artists.
“We are enormously proud to be part of the art market, whether that is urban street artists or fine art, and Art Law & More is part of our commitment,” says Stella. “It sits well with the firm’s brand and is of interest to a broad spread of our clients. It helps present a different and approachable face to the firm.”
Read more at www.artlawandmore.com, follow on Twitter @ArtLawandMore or Instagram @art_law_and_more.
