Publications

Forbes: Jacob Lawrence’s ‘Struggle’ - What To Do Before Your Art Becomes Famous
Hillary Sheets reported in the New York Times on the recent discovery of the 1956 Jacob Lawrence work “Struggle”, a long thought lost piece of a series of 30 paintings on the nation’s early history. The owners of the piece purchased the work at a charity auction in 1960 and knew who the artist was, but not the significance, of the painting. A sharp-eyed visitor to the Metropolitan Art Museum alerted the owners to the meaning of the painting in the broader context of Lawrence’s work and the Museum to its existence. The owners are not art collectors. The work is now famous, and estimated to be worth in the seven figures and so a significant asset. So, other than having keen-eyed friends to alert you to what you have, how can you find out if you have such artwork?

Forbes: Handling Debts in an Estate
The financial stress on both families and businesses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic means an increasing level of debt for both. In reviewing estate plans today, one of the issues to consider is what would happen if a client who has significant debts, or is liable for debts incurred by their business, suddenly falls ill and dies? There is a process for handling debts of a decedent in estates, but it requires careful planning.