Picasso dispute sent to Illinois
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A judge has ruled that the case of a looted $10-million Picasso painting, taken by the Nazis in World War II, should move from California to Illinois jurisdiction.
In December, UC Berkeley law student Thomas Bennigson sued in L.A. to regain control of “Woman in White” from its current owner, Chicago philanthropist Marilynn Alsdorf.
According to Bennigson’s attorney, E. Randol Schoenberg, the venue change is a stalling tactic: “It could add a year to the case.” Schoenberg is appealing the ruling.
Bennigson is the grandson of Carlota Landsberg, who owned the Picasso before it was taken by the Nazis from a Parisian art dealer in 1942. It was purchased by Alsdorf in New York in 1975.
When Bennigson was notified of the painting’s whereabouts, it was in a Los Angeles gallery, awaiting sale. Before the courts processed his suit, the work was shipped to Chicago.
On Thursday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victor Person agreed with a venue change motion, saying California jurisdiction is incidental to the legal battle.
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