Ongoing
After over ten years of litigation, our client, the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray, achieved a very favorable settlement in the case of United States v. Portrait of Wally, which has been credited with being one of the first to focus the world's attention on the problem of Nazi-looted art. Egon Schiele's Portrait of Wally was stolen in the late 1930's from Lea Bondi Jaray, a Jewish art dealer and collector, by a Nazi agent. The settlement compensates the heirs for the true value of the painting—$19 million—and provides for permanent signage acknowledging the painting's true provenance to be placed next to the painting after it is returned to the Leopold Museum in Vienna. The painting will be exhibited at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York for three weeks, beginning with a ceremony on July 29, 2010 commemorating the legacy of Lea Bondi Jaray. Click here to view the press release which provides details of the case and the terms of the settlement.
July 29, 2010 -- CNN
Howard Spiegler is quoted in the CNN article "Painting stolen by Nazi now on display in New York." The article notes Howard's representation of the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray and discusses the settlement with the Leopold Musueum.
July 29, 2010 -- Lindsay Pollock’s art market views’s
Howard Spiegler is mentioned, and our client the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray is featured in Lindsay Pollock's art market view's "Schiele’s Long Disputed ‘Portrait of Wally’ Unveiled at Museum of Jewish Heritage" which discusses the Leopold settlement.
July 27, 2010 -- Wall Street Journal On-Line’s
Our representation of the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray, and the settlement with the Leopold Museum, are noted in the Wall Street Journal On-Line's article “Portrait of Notoriety.”
July 26, 2010 -- American Lawyer’s Am Law Litigation Daily’s
Howard Spiegler, Herrick, our representation of the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray, and the settlement with the Leopold Museum are all mentioned in the American Lawyer’s Am Law Litigation Daily article "Heirs of Jewish Art Dealer Win $19M Settlement Over Schiele Painting Looted by Nazis."
July 20, 2010 -- Herrick, Feinstein LLP
Herrick's art law team brings the long-running United States v. Portrait of Wally case -- involving a valuable Nazi-looted painting -- to a successful settlement on behalf of the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray.
February 2010
In February 2010, St. John’s University honored Lawrence Kaye as its alumnus of the month.
October 8, 2009 -- The AmLaw Litigation Daily
This item notes that Howard Spiegler and Herrick are representing the heirs of art dealer Lea Bondi, who are seeking the return of the painting "Portrait of Wally." Bondi's heirs and Austria's Leopold Museum have been fighting for custody and ownership of the painting, which has sat in a warehouse since 1997, when it was seized by the Manhattan DA's office because it was believed to be stolen from its rightful owners by the Nazis.
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