Former Sotheby’s Chairman Mari-Claudia Jiménez Launches New Art

Former Sotheby’s Chairman Mari-Claudia Jiménez Launches New Art 

 Mari-Claudia Jiménez, a leading authority in the international art world, has joined the global law firm Withers to spearhead an innovative new venture—Withers Art and Advisory, a hybrid platform combining legal services with art market expertise. Operating out of New York, this practice is designed to serve collectors, estates, and institutions with integrated legal and market advisory services focused on the acquisition, ownership, and sale of art.

Jiménez’s dual expertise in both law and the art industry makes her ideally suited for this role. Prior to her nearly ten-year tenure at Sotheby’s—where she most recently held positions as chairman, president of the Americas, and global head of business development—she practiced as a distinguished art lawyer. Withers Art and Advisory aims to transcend the bounds of traditional art law, offering clients legal guidance informed by real-time market dynamics. As Jiménez explains, the service will deliver “unbiased, ethically principled advice” rooted in both legal knowledge and practical market experience.

“There are many self-proclaimed advisers out there lacking credentials, transparency, and often entangled in conflicts of interest, “As a licensed attorney, my sole obligation is to the client—with no personal stake in the transaction.”

Throughout her career, Jiménez has overseen high-profile art transactions, including the restitution and sale of five Kazimir Malevich works and the record-breaking $106.5 million sale of Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. At Sotheby’s, she was also involved in the landmark $922 million sale of the Mack Lowe collection, as well as notable collections from Emily Fisher Landau, Mo Ostin, Gabriel García Márquez, and the estates of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

The new advisory service will launch with Jiménez at the helm and plans to build a team of specialists. It will collaborate closely with Withers' global art law group, co-led by Sarah Barker in London, covering areas such as taxation, intellectual property, litigation, and estate strategy.

Jiménez is clear about her approach: she’s not there to suggest what art to display in a living room. Instead, she aims to professionalize the process of collection management and sales while raising the bar in an industry often criticized for its lack of transparency.

“This goes beyond simple due diligence,” she said. “It’s about transforming the standard of advice in an industry where professionalism has long been undervalued.”