Attorney Matthew Swanlund is a creative at heart. He is a painter, writer, photographer and designer—and an attorney. This dual perspective allows his company, Aesthetic Legal, to translate complex legal concepts to creative individuals and companies in a language they understand, to the benefit of both parties involved.
Through his work, Matthew is seen as a leader in Art Law. He represents numerous artists (local and international), art galleries, museums and arts-related businesses. He is involved in local arts-related community groups and organizations to promote public art in our community and is even an adjunct professor at UC Irvine School of Law.
Because Matthew has a particular affinity for protecting artists, a profession that has routinely been taken advantage of and wields little to no bargaining power, he recently launched a subscription legal service directly for artists, art galleries and arts-related businesses called Artside Counsel. The age-old legal model of billing by the hour doesn’t always work for start-ups and creative businesses, so he changed the model to better address the changing needs of his clients. According to Aesthetic Legal, Matthew believes that creativity both shapes and improves our society, culture and world. Thus, creativity must be protected.
