Howard has been involved in several of the best-known and most important litigations brought on behalf of foreign governments and heirs of Holocaust victims and others to recover stolen artwork or other cultural property, including the following.

Howard represented the Estate of Lea Bondi Jaray to recover a Schiele painting confiscated by a Nazi agent in Austria in the late 1930's. Working with the U.S. Attorney’s Asset Forfeiture Unit, Howard handled a ten year litigation against the Leopold Museum in Austria, which possessed the painting, and the Museum of Modern Art, which had it on exhibition. Settled just before trial, the Estate recovered the full value of the painting, and the work was exhibited at the Museum of Jewish Heritage for several weeks before returning to the Leopold Museum, where a permanent plaque describing the true history of the painting is permanently affixed, as required by the settlement.

Howard was also involved in the recovery by the heir of the famous Jewish art dealer Jacques Goudstikker of 200 Nazi-looted artworks from the Dutch Government and the recoveries on behalf of the Republic of Turkey of numerous valuable antiquities.

He also handled the action brought on behalf of the heirs of Kazimir Malevich, the world-renowned 20th Century Russian artist, to recover Malevich artworks from the City of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The case is well-known for its interpretation of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, holding that a foreign museum that obtained immunity from seizure of art loaned to an American museum, is not immune from suit based on the loan. The litigation was resolved, resulting in the recovery by the heirs of five important and valuable Malevich paintings, one of which later sold at auction for $60 million.

Howard also handles all types of art transactions, including counseling its clients on international trade issues, loans, museum and private exhibitions, organizing and structuring business entities, trust and estate matters, insurance issues and other matters.

Howard has published widely on art law and related issues. He also has had numerous speaking engagements at various universities and law schools throughout the country, including Columbia, Harvard, New York University and Yale, and throughout the world for the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA), and other organizations and bar associations, art fairs, museums, auction houses and appraisers.

Among other accolades, Howard has received the Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Defense of Art from the Association for Research into Crimes Against Art (ARCA) and the Prix Monique Raynaud-Contaminé from the Union international des Avocats (UIA). He has served as an officer for at bar associations in the United States and abroad.

Memberships & Associations

• Former President, Art Law Commission of the Union International des Avocats (2011-2014)

• New York City Bar Association

  o Former Chair, Committee on Art Law (2004-2007)

• Editorial Board, Journal of Art Crime

• International Bar Association

• American Bar Association

• New York State Bar Association