Withers: International art and fashion practice with London partner hires

Withers: International art and fashion practice with London partner hires

Senior hires observes arrival of New York trust and estates specialist

Withers, top 30 UK firm, has heightened its flagship private client team with two partner-level hires to grow its international art and trust and estates practices. It was from Lee & Thompson and Day Pitney in London and New York.

With an experience of heading Lee & Thompson's committed art and fashion groups, Sarah Barker joins the international firm's London headquarters. Focussing on a range of trusts and estate issues in Day Pitney in New York, Caryn Young also joins the firm's London headquarters.

Barker's hire brings in high value and importance in building up Withers' international art practice, anchored in the US by New York-based partner, Diana Wierbicki. Barker's experience and effort expected to utilise, representing artists, galleries, collectors, agents and luxury brands to complement Withers' decades-long presence in both the industries at the juncture of the arts and fashion sectors. Her creativity throughout the arts and fashion sectors has guided a number of well-known artists to partner with international fashion brands. It included Oscar De La Renta and Matilde Mourinho's self-titled brand Matilde, through design collaborations, event collaborations or sponsorships.

Further than her legal work, Barker's involvement expanses in the art and luxury goods industries. Regularly she contributed to Apollo Magazine, an international art news publication and a membership to both the Association of Women in the Arts and the Institute of Art & Law.

Jeremy Wakeham, CEO of Withers' business division mentioned, "Art has been a thread running through work for decades, we do for our clients. Sarah's devotion to the industry will help to bring together the multiple teams in the UK on the issues relating to art and luxury goods."

"In light of the ongoing growth of the digital art market, Barker will likely become a frequent co-worker of the firm's technology team. It has raised a countless new legal challenges that require a foot in both practice areas," further added Wakeham.

In the meantime, Young has also reckoned eminent artists and their estates among her clientele along with business owners and popular families. In 2017, she joined Day Pitney's trusts and estates practice from Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf. She continued to develop her estate and trust administration and gift tax planning practice.

Young has also undertaken a number of roles in the international financial development field alongside her legal work. It includes managing director and global head of programs at the Financial Services Volunteer Corps and project manager for the International Finance Corporation in Belarus and Ukraine, among others.

"Caryn's focus and expertise on representing clients and business owners in the New York area is really valuable to us," said Jay Dinwoodie, CEO of Withers' private client and tax division. "Her ability to handle clients' estate matters from beginning to end is vital in building up strong and enduring relationships."

Withers has been focused on complaining up its US presence as of late, with two office launches in Texas and Boston to its name in 2021. It came with some partner-level hires from Burns & Levinson and one from Dallas business law firm Winstead PC.

The firm has also hired several partners across its international network in New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Singapore. The most noteworthy is being the best Hollywood divorce lawyer Samantha Klein. She was charged with introducing a US family practice upon joining the firm from Wasser Cooperman & Mandles in August.

Withers, popularly well-known for its private client work, grew revenue by 11% to £243m in 2021 against a 32% increase in profit-per-equity-partner (PEP) to £660k. It marks second consecutive year of striking financial results after it grew revenues by 13% against a 40% PEP increase in 2020.