About Us
In the last 40 years, the partners have handled the sale or transfer of a large number of paintings, drawings, works of art, manuscripts and archives and other cultural property to the nation’s museums and libraries on tax advantageous terms to the offering estate or vendor.
Anastasia Tennant MBE
Read Literae Humaniores at St Anne’s College, Oxford; law conversion degree at the College of Law followed by 4 years at a private client law firm in Gray’s Inn Square where she qualified as a solicitor; in-house lawyer at the National Trust; 2000-2009 Director in the Heritage & Taxation Advisory Service at Christie’s; 2009- 2023 Deputy Head and then Senior Policy Adviser in the Museums & Cultural Property team initially at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and, since 2011, at the Arts Council where she provided advice and guidance across all its statutory cultural property schemes. Member of STEP and Historic Houses Tax Committee from 2024.
Wendy Philips
Read Literae Humaniores at St. Anne’s College Oxford; qualified as a solicitor and practised in the private client/trusts and estates field for 10 years followed by 4 years with HMRC on a legislation drafting project; joined Sotheby’s in 2003 where she was head of Tax and Heritage from 2004 to 2023 providing advice and guidance to owners and their advisers on all aspects relating to the ownership of art and cultural property; Deputy Chairman, Sotheby’s UK between 2017 - 2023. Member of STEP, and Historic Houses Tax Committee (2003 – 2024).
Remembering Gerry McQuillan OBE 1954–2025
We mourn the loss of our co-founder Gerry McQuillan. He died of pancreatic cancer on 11th December 2025 at the age of 71 surrounded by his loved ones.
Gerry graduated with B.Sc (Hons) in Geography from the the University of Southampton after which he worked as a teacher; at HMRC; at the Museums and Galleries Commission; seconded to DCMS for 2 years; Head of the Acquisitions, Exports and Loans Unit at the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council until 2011 when he became Senior Advisor at the Arts Council specialising in all tax and regulatory matters to do with cultural property. After retiring in 2015 he worked as an independent consultant on cultural property and taxation to a number of private individuals and families.
Gerry was a great yet unassuming man and leaves behind a legacy marked by brilliance at every stage of his career, combined with a relentless quest for knowledge and a passion for music, birdlife and culture.
Gerry was an exceptional person, wonderfully good at what he did and so many people and institutions are deeply indebted to him. He will be remembered with enormous fondness by everyone who was lucky enough to have known him. His life reminds us that there still are truly good people in this world.
We will miss Gerry terribly but we will endeavour to honour his legacy by continuing to bring the same creativity, enthusiasm and attention to detail he brought to our work every day.
Advisory Board
Edward Harley CBE
Lord-Lieutenant of Herefordshire and former Chairman of the Acceptance in Lieu Panel
The Lord Inglewood MRICS FSA
Member of the House of Lords, a barrister, President of the British Art Market Federation, sometime Chairman of the Reviewing Committee and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of National Heritage between 1995-97
Sir Hayden Phillips GCB DL
Founding Permanent Secretary of the DCMS and former Reviewing Committee Chairman
Leonie Schroder
Non-executive director of Schroders, trustee and director of a number of charities
Charles Sebag-Montefiore CBE FSA
Trustee of the National Gallery 2012-21 and Trustee of charities in the museum and library world
Andrew Sutch
Corporate lawyer and former senior partner of Stephenson Harwood LLP