Because from time-to time your organisation may need legal advice, this is to introduce arts organisations who are members of the APD network to Nick Sharp, a business and arts solicitor who has been a member of the Board of a-n The Artists Information Company since 1990.
He has worked with us over many years on legal 'best practice' issues. He wrote the a-n Visual Arts Contracts in the 1990s and in 2004 with Sheena Etches, co-wrote the interactive a-n Artist's contracts toolkit on www-a-n.co.uk. He was commissioned last year by Arts Council England to prepare Checklists and Q&As on contracts between Own Art members and artists, now published on www.artscouncil.org.uk/ownart/
Nick has produced a number of features for a-n Magazine and on www.a-n.co.uk, the latest of piece which, due for publication in March, focuses on the impact on arts organisations of the new Age Discrimination laws.
As well as advising on constitutional matters, he provided a-n's Board with advice on the Competition law issue that arose last year as regards publishing recommended fees and payments for artists. If your organisation is concerned about the possible impact on of the Competition law issue that Arts Council England raised with clients last year, you might wish to complete the short questionnaire attached to this email that sets out some preliminary 'scoping' questions on this. Nick is happy to review your responses and discuss them with you.
Now a consultant to a new Covent Garden-based law firm, Swan Turton (www.swanturton.com), Nick is interested to hear from any APD organisations who need legal advice or support. He can offer APD organisations a free consultation and special rates, and can provide talks within individual artists' professional development programmes on contractual or other legal topics.
For further information, please contact him on:
T: 020 7520 9579
Nicholas.sharp@swanturton.com
Legal advice for APD network organisations