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The Legal 500 Hall of Fame Icon The Legal 500 Hall of Fame highlights individuals who have received constant praise by their clients for continued excellence. The Hall of Fame highlights, to clients, the law firm partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession. In the United Kingdon, the criteria for entry is to have been recognised by The Legal 500 as one of the elite leading lawyers for eight years. These partners are highlighted below and throughout the editorial.
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United Kingdom > North West > Private client > Agriculture and estates > Law firm and leading lawyer rankings

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Index of tables

  1. Agriculture and estates
  2. Leading individuals

Leading individuals

  1. 1
    • Charles Hansford - Brabners LLP
    • Rupert Jackson - Brabners LLP
    • Richard Williams - Knights plc

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Aaron & Partners LLP 's ’ team is ‘highly rated’. Practice head Simon Ellis heads an excellent team and David Harries  is well regarded for his work on rural diversification schemes. The group attracts praise for its ‘particular expertise in the renewables sector’. Richard Forrester  regularly advises landlords and tenants on all aspects of the Agricultural Holdings Act. In addition the private client team is well placed to assist farmers and rural landowners on inheritance tax and other financial planning issues. Recent highlights included continuing to advise John Holford Charity about the mineral rights for sand extraction over farmland in East Cheshire. It is also advising Dŵr Cymru Cyfyngedig (Welsh Water) on a proposed extension of water treatment works. This work entails advising on a development over common land just outside the Snowdonia National Park. Other key clients include Chester Zoo, Denbighshire County Council and Chester Diocesan Board of Finance. The skilled team advises on all of the issues that affect farms, farm partnerships, estates and local authorities. It is also adept at advising on opportunities for alternative energy such as wind turbines.

At Brabners LLP Rupert Jackson  is praised for his ‘rapid and considered responses’. Charles Hansford and associate Helen Ryan  ‘are always able to provide a range of solutions to the various problems that arise on an agricultural estate. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience they can draw upon and they provide their advice in a ‘user friendly’ way’. Hansford is ‘particularly excellent on mineral rights and makes sure that every aspect is considered and covered – he leaves no stone unturned’. He also routinely advises on all types of commercial property issues including landlord and tenant, sales and acquisitions, corporate support and the development of renewable energy projects. Jackson is vastly experienced at advising on land management and on landed estates. He regularly acts for individuals, trusts and companies on a broad of issues on estate management such as on complex rights, title, renewable options and all other matters that affect rural holdings.

Michael Ward  heads the department at Hibberts LLP  following Edward Nutting's departure. The department is known for its specialist skills in transactions where there is unregistered title and is adept at advising on other matters such as tax planning, options and all types of tenancies, licenses and occupation agreements. The practice also advises on easements, wayleaves, above ground installations and on mineral rights. Highlights included acting for numerous major farming/dairy operators and organisations in relation to their farming businesses and on their diversification needs, and handling complex succession cases for both landlord and tenants. Ward acted in a high-value Inheritance Act claim in the High Court with attendant satellite litigation that revolved around land swaps and the removal of hostile trustees. David Young has retired.

Amanda Freeman   heads a ‘very amenable, knowledgeable, sensible and well-informed’ team at Myerson Solicitors LLP  that ‘overall provides a very high level of service’. Freeman has many years of experience of dealing with a wide range of private client matters for its rural clients with particular expertise in acting for high-net-worth individuals. The ‘very experienced’ Andrew Chapman  is ‘always available and is very quick at getting his head around complex problems. He then produces good solutions and is also very nice to deal with’. Chapman routinely advises rural landowners and farmers on a myriad of property issues including on the development of land for residential development and on diversification issues. He also frequently advises on the granting of option agreements, on the sale and purchase of land and on the granting of easements over land. The ‘knowledgeable and approachable’  Jane Tenquist has significant experience of dealing with divorces that involve farms, agricultural land, trusts and businesses and Andrew Brown  regularly advises on partnerships, LLPs, shareholder agreements and group reorganisations for its rural clients.

The rural team at Napthens LLP advises on the full range of personal and commercial matters under the leadership of Andrew Holden. The department has various areas of expertise with lawyers who focus on planning/private client, property and commercial issues. Holden has considerable experience of all aspects of land and agricultural property transactions including agricultural tenancies and sales by auction and tender. In addition he routinely deals with the leading agricultural banks and has been busy advising on sales, purchases and re-mortgages of land of all values. He is also well regarded for his work for developers and landowners on renewable energy projects.

Butcher & Barlow LLP   has a ‘very capable team that is led by experienced and well-known partners’. At the helm is Mike Bracegirdle who has ‘first-hand knowledge of farming matters and can explain things clearly. We have a great deal of faith in his judgement’. The ‘very experienced’ Graham Gigg  has a ‘good reputation and is unsurpassed in his knowledge of this field’. The department has particular expertise in advising land owners in relation to the sale of agricultural land for residential development in Cheshire East and is also well-regarded for its advice on succession planning. It works closely with a number of local accountants.

JWK Solicitors  handles the full array of agricultural matters from farm tenancies and grazing licenses through to environmental and welfare issues for a range of clients nationwide. Anthony Collinson  has ‘comprehensive knowledge of his chosen field and is a very good communicator’. The team is also adept at handling high value and complex matters often with an international dimension. It acted as trustee of a farm estate and several residential properties. On this matter it successfully negotiated a settlement with the advisors of the deceased life tenant and with the Revenue. In another highlight it advised its client who owned a landed estate about various works of art of national interest that were held in the estate.

SAS Daniels LLP  handles a diverse range of legal services to farmers with particular expertise in energy, construction and a niche specialism in regulatory food law. The practice routinely handles the buying and selling of agricultural land, advises on agricultural tenancies as well as on easements for landowners and on unregistered agricultural land. It is also adept at advising on unregistered agricultural land and on the surrender of Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies. In a recent highlight the team assisted a landowner who needed advice on various matters such as a promotion and sale agreement and a pension scheme. Helen Gowin, James Goddard and senior associate Hannah Leese  are recommended.

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