Ella Wesly is an experienced litigation and transactional attorney specializing in art law. She litigates a range of cases involving business disputes, real estate and property, and premises liability and personal injury. Her transactional work focuses on the arts and arts related transactions.

Ella joined GKHS with a background in art law having begun her legal career under the General Counsel of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and having served on the Executive Committee of the Art Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco since 2021. Prior to joining the California Bar, Ella began specializing in Art Law by gaining a MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, founding the Art Law Society at Santa Clara Law, and serving as the Art Law Section Editor of the Santa Clara Business Chronicle. Ella also diversified her legal knowledge through training positions practicing criminal defense, criminal prosecution, and catastrophic personal injury.

Ella graduated cum laude from Santa Clara University School of Law in 2023. During law school she earned Cali Awards for Excellence, the highest awarded grade, in Professional Responsibility and Civil Procedure. Ella passed on her academic success through a passion for mentoring as an Academic Fellow tutoring 1L students and as a mentor with Women in Law and the Latinx Law Student Association. Ella also held positions as Manager and Coach for the Honors Moot Court External Clara Barton International Humanitarian Law Competition and Associate of the Journal of International Law.

Ella enjoys traveling, painting, making pottery, sculpting, and volunteering for arts organizations. Ella currently serves on the Board of Local Color, a San Jose women-led organization that supports artists in her community.

After having lived in Wisconsin, Illinois, South Carolina, New York, and Tennessee, Ella is delighted to call California home and currently lives in Sunnyvale with her spouse and cat.