July 26, 2021 - In a decisive victory for
longtime client Phillips Auctioneers, Hughes Hubbard defeated a
lawsuit brought by a China-based art collector alleging that the
eminent auction house breached the parties' settlement
agreement.
On July 12, New York State Supreme Court Justice Jennifer G.
Schecter granted Phillips' motion to dismiss all of Zhang
Chang's claims with prejudice, ending a heavily litigated
dispute that began five years ago.
In October 2016, Phillips and Zhang entered into a guarantee
agreement for Zhang to bid $24 million on Gerhard Richter's
masterwork "Düsenjäger" at a November 2016
auction in exchange for a financing fee, regardless of the
outcome.
Zhang's bid succeeded, but he failed to pay Phillips, which
was forced to pay the consignor of the work the full $24 million
and seek restitution from Zhang. Zhang, a Chinese national and
resident, taunted Phillips that it could not require him to pay for
the Richter work because he was