A Federal judge has opened the way for Ann Freedman to have her day in court to explain why she bears no responsibility for the fakes Glafira Rosales sold to her:
In his three-page order, Judge Gardephe denied the gallery’s and Freedman’s motions for summary judgment in the lawsuits brought by the New York collector John Howard and Sotheby’s chairman Domenico De Sole and his wife, Eleanore. […] The order also dismissed Knoedler’s owner Michael Hammer and the former gallery employee Michael Andrade from both cases. Hammer’s holding company 8-31 remains in the cases, although the judge dismissed certain claims against it.
Freedman, Knoedler, and Hammer have consistently denied they knowingly sold fakes. Freedman’s lawyer Luke Nikas says: “This case is about integrity, and as much as we may respectfully disagree with the decision, it has an important silver lining: Ann Freedman will now have the full opportunity to tell her story and prove her good faith.”
Update: It is important to note that Freedman has spent much of the last few years trying to avoid this case coming to court.
Knoedler fakes case will go to trial, judge orders (The Art Newspaper)