Artist Ron Lawson has settled a civil case with Broughty Ferry dealer Sandro Paladini after some of his prints were sold with a forged signature.
A number of customers were alleged to have bought prints from Mr Paladini, of Eduardo Alessandro Studios on Gray Street, containing a forged signature.
An investigation was mounted but criminal charges were dropped by the Crown Office earlier this month.
Allegations were first levelled in 2021 and Mr Paladini had been due to stand trial at Dundee Sheriff Court accused of obtaining more than £2,000 through a fraudulent scheme between 2018 and 2019.
Mr Lawson had also pursued Mr Paladini in the Court of Session in Edinburgh through his family company Grey Sky Publishing Ltd.
However, a settlement has been reached.
Mr Paladini has issued a formal apology to Mr Lawson and affected customers for selling the prints but not having anything to do with the signatures.
Civil settlement
Mr Lawson told The Courier: “On April 16 we reached a settlement for the case in the Court of Session which we were very happy with.
“It took around nine hours to thrash everything out.
“The terms of the settlement remains confidential but we were very satisfied.”
He said the criminal charges were then dropped as well.
Mr Lawson, 63, has a studio on Dundee’s Perth Road.
He said his business suffered an “enormous” financial hit – in the “tens of thousands” – in pursuing legal recourse.
He said: “There was nothing in my actions fuelled by the need for any kind of revenge.
“People who are fans of my work have bought these and have been given a worthless forgery.
“I felt it was necessary to get things out there and make people aware.”
Facebook apology message
An apology attributed to Mr Paladini was posted on Mr Lawson’s social media accounts in the aftermath of the settlement.
It reads: “It has been brought to Sandro Paladini’s attention that in the course of 2018 and 2019, he sold a number of artist proofs of prints of Ron Lawson’s work which bore a forgery of Ron Lawson’s signature.
“Sandro Paladini apologises to Ron Lawson and to any customers who purchased one of those works.”
