Why Us?

Lawyers who speak art…and business

We partner with creatives and art institutions because we believe in the power of art.

Art law is just as diverse as the institutions, artists, and collectors that create, display, and acquire art. Whether you need a lawyer to protect your intellectual property, negotiate a contract, or advise on day-to-day business needs, you want to work with someone who really understands the art world.

We are just as comfortable at a gallery opening as we are at the negotiating table. We often take meetings at our clients’ studios because seeing your work and being in your space leads to better results. (Plus, we really want to see what you’re working on!)

For our clients, this means we bring our spirit of creative cooperation, together with education and experience in art, business, and law, to everything we do. We help protect your assets through contracts , intellectual property protection, and ongoing legal consultation. We represent both individual artists and the organizations that exhibit, commission, and acquire their work. Our knowledge of both sides of any transaction helps us to see the full picture and think several steps ahead.

Meet the Team

Katherine de Vos Devine

With a PhD in art history in addition to her law degree, Katherine de Vos Devine understands the business of art. Before founding Implement Legal, she worked at a large international law firm providing tax-related services to nonprofits and also curated and directed museums and art centers. Katherine is an entrepreneur who has founded several businesses, and she has taught art law and art history at the university level because she loves breaking down complex concepts for her students. She applies this same common-sense, practical, and educational approach to walking clients through their legal issues.

Robert Devine

Many attorneys speak legalese but don’t understand business. Rob Devine isn’t one of them.

Rob has an MBA and a JD and uses this combination of business savvy and legal know-how as a trusted guide through the transactions and other legal matters artists and institutions encounter. Rob has worked for large law firms, major financial institutions, as an officer in the U.S. Navy, and for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Our clients trust Rob for the management strategy developed as a leader in business and serving our country.

Learn more about the team

Our Values

“Implement” is both a noun and a verb.

As a noun, an implement is a tool used to perform a task. For artists, that could be a paintbrush, a charcoal pencil, a computer.

As a verb, to implement means to accomplish a purpose.

We exist to help artists and creatives accomplish their unique purposes. The tools we use are not paintbrushes but contracts, trademark and copyright registrations, and business strategy. Our values are transparency, collaboration, creativity, professionalism, and foresight.

Ironically, artists are often outsiders in the art world, while corporations, galleries, and municipalities have the long-term institutional knowledge to make the most of transactions. Among law firms, it is extremely rare to find our insider’s understanding of the creative scene. We use our insight – gained through formal art, legal, and business education as well as years of representing artists and art institutions – to create collaborative solutions that protect artists and allow the world to benefit from their work.

About Our Services

Implement Legal is dedicated to serving artists and creative businesses. We create and negotiate fair contracts, protect your work with copyrights and trademarks, and help you collaborate with partners as you grow your artistic practice and build your creative legacy.

We help our clients with:

Intellectual Property:

To enforce their rights in what they create, artists and businesses should register their trademarks and copyrights. Learn more on our IP Services page about protecting your brand (trademark), safeguarding the work you create (copyright), and ways to monetize your creativity (licensing).

Contracts:

It takes a vast web of contracts to put art into the public eye. If you don’t know what to look for, you can end up in a precarious legal position. See our Contracts Services page to learn how we can help negotiate public art contracts, licensing agreements, independent contractor agreements, master services agreements, and more. And if you don’t know what these terms mean, you’re in the right place. We can explain them without legalese and help you make the most of each opportunity.

Art Advisory

Artists and collectors do not want one-size-fits-all solutions to protecting their assets and planning for their and their families’ futures. With our specialized business knowledge and sensitivity to artists’ needs, our Art Advisory services complement the work of traditional estate lawyers, giving attorneys and their clients peace of mind that collections and legacies will be protected.

The List

Established artists and creative businesses need legal counsel to partner with them in the long term. When you’re on The List, we are your on-call attorneys for ongoing legal needs.

"I continuously recommend Katherine and Rob to other artists and business owners within my circle because I deeply trust, respect, and appreciate the work they have done and continue to do. "

Meredith Connelly | Art by Meredith Connelly LLC
"She transformed an experience that could have felt cold and tedious into something truly meaningful and empowering. I'm so grateful!"

Nicole McConville | Nicole McConville Photography
"The confidence that I have in my contracts, terms, and other legal documents makes it easy for me to secure high-value projects and to pursue business growth without fear."

Sarah Chappell | Think Piece