Joe Baratta is SVP, Head of Trusts & Estates, North America at Bonhams based in the Los Angeles office. Joe works closely with an extensive network of professional fiduciaries, trust officers, attorneys, and client advisors on estate collections ranging from fine art and jewelry to collectible motor cars.

Before joining Bonhams in 2022, Joe spent 20 years at a regional auction house in Los Angeles, where he most recently served as SVP of Business Development & Valuations. bringing to market many important collections including the estates of David Copley, Sam Simon, Gore Vidal, Robert & Penny Marshall, Carol Channing, and Don Rickles.

Since February 2022, Joe has been responsible for bringing to auction "A Perfect Jewelry Box," a white-glove jewelry collection which achieved $6.5M, including a 35-carat diamond that brought $2.7M and a 22.1-carat that sold for $1.62M; the Mary Steinbeck Dekker Family Collection of her brother John's literary material; the important collection of American furniture and paintings, carpets, and Native American works from the estate of William Dana Lippman; Helen Frankenthaler's "Alchemy," which achieved almost $3M from the estate of Dana and Chuck Maltz; and Richard Diebenkorn's "Green," which brought $542,000.

Joe is a regular speaker on the topic of estate planning around tangible personal property to trust departments and local organizations. Recently, he presented to The Los Angeles Estate Planning Council, The Hawaii Tax Institute, The Seattle Estate Planning Conference, The ASA National Conference, and The Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners. He is a member of several professional, museum, and philanthropic organizations including The Los Angeles Estate Planning Council (President 2023-2024), The Beverly Hills Estate Planning Council, The South Bay Estate Planning Council, The Estate Planning Council of the San Gabriel Valley, The Huntington Library, Museum & Botanical Gardens (Board of Governors), The McMullen Museum at Boston College Patrons’ Committee, Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters (board member), Jonathan Club Membership Committee, and past Chair of the Jonathan Art Foundation Collection’s Committee (currently an advisor).

A native Angeleno, Joe earned a BA in Art History from Boston College.

Faculty Member’s Sessions