ABOUT US

At Avant-Garde Lawyers (AGL), our mission is to ensure that artists can imagine and create freely, without fear of censorship, persecution, or legal challenges. Supported by international organisations such as the United Nations, we provide innovative legal strategies that protect the rights of artists around the world.

The term “avant-garde” originally refers to the vanguard, the forward-thinking pioneers who push boundaries and challenge conventions. At AGL, we embody this spirit by using the full extent of the law to defend artistic expression. Our approach is bold and unconventional, just like the artists we protect. We navigate complex legal issues and develop creative solutions that allow art to continue to inspire, challenge, and transform society.

From our founding, we have upheld a strong pro bono culture. Today, to sustain and expand our work, we also offer a range of paid services delivered with the same dedication and expertise, at reduced or flexible rates to ensure accessibility. Every paid engagement directly supports our pro bono work for artists who have no means to pay for legal support.

OUR MISSION

AGL’s mission is three-fold:

To strengthen legal protections for artists everywhere through direct legal support and strategic litigation
To advance understanding of the right to freedom of artistic expression
To build a global community of cultural rights defenders who collaborate together to defend artists’ rights

WHAT WE DO

1. Specialised legal assistance for artists

We provide direct legal assistance tailored to the needs of artists, including:

Immediate support for artists in vulnerable situations by connecting them with local lawyers in our Global Network and overseeing the legal work for each case
Engagement with UN bodies and regional mechanisms (ECtHR, Inter-American, African systems) to defend artists’ fundamental rights
Third-party interventions before national courts and international fora in freedom of expression cases
Risk assessments for artists and cultural institutions
Administrative and immigration support in France (applications for visas, residence permits, asylum, naturalisation, legalisation, and other formalities related to relocation and life in France)
Support in civil disputes, particularly related to protection of intellectual property rights of artists (legal advice, cease-and-desist letters, representations before courts and in negotiations)

2. Strategic litigation and advocacy

We take on cases that have the potential to create structural change for artists worldwide. For each case, we design a legal, advocacy and media strategy, build a case intervention team to implement it and supervise its execution.

3. Capacity building

We design and deliver tailored courses in the domain of freedom of expression.

4. Building a community of practice

We maintain and grow our Global Network of pro bono lawyers, artists, art historians, translators and scholars and other professionals committed to AGL’s mission.

OUR APPROACH

COMPLEX LEGAL DEFENCE

AGL expertly navigates complex legal issues and international instruments to protect artists’ rights across various artistic domains. Partnering with top law firms and trusted in-country lawyers worldwide, we go beyond simply matching artists with legal counsel. Our team analyses each case, designs a tailored strategy, and oversees its implementation from start to finish, while contributing to a broader global effort to protect and expand the space for creative expression.

ARTS UNIQUE ONTOLOGY

We respect and protect the artistic process, ensuring the artist’s intent is accurately represented in any legal submissions. Where necessary, we create an interdisciplinary team that designs innovative legal strategies to challenge and rethink the legal protection of artistic expression. We give artists a voice as experts in their field, so their work, its context and meaning are heard and understood in the legal process.

PRO BONO CULTURE WITH ACCESSIBLE PAID SERVICES

Money should never prevent an artist from accessing legal support. Pro bono work remains at the heart of AGL, ensuring that artists with no means to pay receive high-quality legal assistance. Alongside this, we offer reduced-rate and flexibly priced paid services. By combining these models, with every paid engagement helping to sustain pro bono work, we can extend protection to more vulnerable artists and strengthen artistic freedom worldwide.

“Artists should enjoy greater levels of protections for their contribution to public debate, essential in a free and open society.”

Andra Matei, AGL Founder

MEET THE TEAM

Meet the passionate team behind Avant-Garde Lawyers