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Paddle 8 Bankruptcy a Harbinger in the Time of COVID19 and the Coming Art World Crisis

Posted by Nicholas O'Donnell on March 24, 2020 at 8:59 AM

Early last week the online auctioneer Paddle 8 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York, on the heels of a recent lawsuit demanding payment for works of art sold at a charitable auction last November. While the Paddle 8 bankruptcy seems to have been driven by business conditions long before the complete upheaval of the art and business world due to COVID19, it is all but certain now that the cascading closures of businesses large and small for the foreseeable future will bring a wave of bankruptcies in the months and year to come. As such, taking a closer look at the Paddle 8 situation can be instructive for art market participants of all sorts, particularly with respect to the consignment and sale of art. Put simply, most businesses are going to need to think very soon about their roles as creditors who are owed some good or service, in the hopes of avoiding becoming debtors who need the help of bankruptcy laws to reorganize or stave off liquidation.

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Topics: Bankruptcy, Bankruptcy Code, Bankruptcy Court, consignor, U.C.C.-1 statement, New York Arts & Cultural Affairs Law, Salander O'Reilly, ArtNet, Force majeure, coronavirus, COVID-19, Chapter 11, Paddle 8, Auctionata AG, online auction, Tom Otterness, Valentine Uhovski, Rameshkumar Ganeshan, 11 U.S.C. § 541(b)(1), 11 U.S.C. § 362(a), Penumbra, G.L. c. 104A, § 2, John Ahearn, Kiki Smith, Jonas Mekas, Jim Jarmusch, Walter Robinson, Michael McClellan, security interest, N.Y. Arts & Cult. Affairs Law § 12.01, automatic stay, Acts of God, Paper Chase

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The Art Law Report provides timely updates and commentary on legal issues in the museum and visual arts communities. It is authored by Nicholas M. O'Donnell, partner in our Art & Museum Law Practice.

The material on this site is for general information only and is not legal advice. No liability is accepted for any loss or damage which may result from reliance on it. Always consult a qualified lawyer about a specific legal problem.

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