Cinnamon Stephens concentrates her practice in the areas of art and related intellectual property law, counseling clients on the legal and business aspects of the art world in its diverse facets. Ms. Stephens represents clients in matters involving art transactions, acquisitions and disposition, copyright, licensing, copyright and personality rights clearance, contract drafting and negotiations, estate planning, nonprofit /for profit entity creation and joint ventures. Ms. Stephens is admitted to practice law in the State of Washington and is a member of the Washington State Bar Association.
Ms. Stephens has a broad range of experience with varied sections of the art community that produce, transact and collect the art world in its multiple forms. Over the years, Ms. Stephens’ clients have included collectors, visual artists, filmmakers, screenwriters, authors, musicians, dance groups and galleries among others. She has been honored to serve on arts boards such as Seattle’s 911 Media Arts and Washington Lawyers for the Arts, as well as offering pro bono consultation on a variety of issues for other nonprofit entities serving the arts community.
One of Ms. Stephens’ interests is in lay education regarding the intersection of art and the law. As a result, Ms. Stephens has enjoyed presenting seminars on art law at Seattle’s Cornish College of the Arts and for the Washington Lawyers for the Arts Brown Bag Series. Ms. Stephens also taught a graduate level course in museum law and ethics at the University of Washington, focusing on administration, intellectual property and collection management.
Ms. Stephens received her B.A. with Honors in History from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts in 1991 and her J.D. from The University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she was a Clarence Darrow Scholar. Ms. Stephens also earned a Professional Specialization Certificate in International Intellectual Property Law from a joint program of the University of Victoria and Oxford University in 2005.
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
- Presenter, Arab Spring: Birth of a Model for Dealing with the Illicit Trade in Antiquities, 2012 Association for Research into Crimes against Art Conference, June 24, 2012
- Presenter, Eye of the Hurricane: Developing a Prudent Deaccession Policy in Financial Chaos, 2009 Washington Museum Association Annual Conference, June 12, 2009
- Presenter, Legal Issues for Museums, University of Washington Certificate Program, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Presenter, Legal Issues for Professional Artists, Cornish College, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Presenter, “Urban Legends of Copyright” Washington Lawyers for the Arts 2005 Brown Bag Series
- Featured, “Patrons of the Arts.” Washington Law & Politics, April/May 2003
- Presenter, “Negotiating Gallery Contracts” Washington Lawyers for the Arts 2002 Brown Bag Series
- Author, “The Importance of Estate Planning: Protecting What You Love From Those You Don’t.” Artifact Magazine, March/April 1997
- Author, with L. Pritchard, “Legal Ramifications of Same Sex Relationships.” Washington State Bar Association CLE, March 1997
- Author, with L. Pritchard, “Landmark Preservation and Religious Structures: Developing Battle Plans and Blue Prints in the Realm of the Well-Meaning.” United States Methodist Bishops and Conference Chancellors Legal Forum, September 1996