Agriculture and estates in Yorkshire And The Humber
Wrigleys Solicitors LLP
Wrigleys Solicitors LLP is a specialist private client firm, which has a well-established presence in agriculture and estates. The firm handles purchases and sales of farms and estates, agricultural tenancy advice, sporting rights, and renewable energy projects; and has increasingly been acting for owners of woodland and forestry. The practice has also notably benefitted from the opening of a new office in Newcastle. Practice head Jonathan Attey displays strong expertise in agricultural and rural property work.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The knowledge within the Leeds team is first class, and everyone works together on effective client solutions.’
‘Everyone is extremely approachable.’
‘Efficient team with old-school approach to client relations. Prompt, accurate communication; solid advice and effective negotiators.’
‘Jonathan Attey: knowledgeable, personable, authoritative, good eye for detail.’
Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP
Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP acts for landed estates, landowning farmers and tenant farmers mainly throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The practice stands out for its significant cross-practice expertise, providing clients with value-added services. A growing specialism for the practice is the purchase of woodlands, as well as an increasingly growing presence in renewable energy. Helen Mellors heads up the practice and has a strong background in advising on landed estates.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The practice knows the market it wishes to serve very well and its whole focus, operation and strategy is based around its multi-faceted operation. It is a firm that has clear direction and good messages to market. Highly skilled and experienced leadership team with good local networks with a great reputation.’
‘The AJ Team are extremely friendly, yet professional and knowledgeable and cover a wide variety of property related work to benefit rural clients needs.’
‘Helen Mellors – An excellent lawyer who provides a wide range of advice on commercial and rural property matters. The professionalism of Helen and her team really makes AJ standout from many of their competitors.’
Crombie Wilkinson
Crombie Wilkinson handles a range of contentious and non-contentious agricultural matters for landed estates and private trusts, land owners and individual farmers. The National Farmers Union is a key client for the group. Former department head Jennifer Bartram departed to Harrowells Solicitors and was succeeded by Clair Douglas, who divides her time between Malton and York.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
National Farmers Union (NFU)
Work highlights
- Advised on the development of a new hospitality venue on a farm including succession planning in respect of moving assets efficiently to the next generation.
- Advised on the purchase of a large estate in North Yorkshire including a portfolio of mixed-use properties and agricultural land.
- Advised NFU member farmers on the substantial trespass into subsoil from neighbouring land.
Grays
Grays counts landowners and landed estates, farmers, family businesses and private individuals as clients. Head of the property Lyn Rickatson has experience in advising farms and estates on the diversification of farming interests.
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Harrowells Solicitors
Harrowells Solicitors fields a sizeable practice with specialists in a range of areas. The group's multi-disciplinary approach allows it to handle a wide range of agriculture and private client matters, including advising clients on land holdings, tax planning issues and specialist litigation, particularly in relation to partnership disputes, supplier contract issues and probate claims. Paul Burkinshaw heads up the practice, which saw the recruitment of consultant solicitor Jennifer Bartram from Crombie Wilkinson in 2019.
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Other key lawyers:
McCormicks
McCormicks has a strong presence in agriculture with a wide range of clients, and acts for a number of substantial estates including the estate of the late John Strutt (comprising of over 100 properties). The team handles commercial matters including advising landowning clients on the diversification of their estates. Practice head Peter McCormick is a longstanding member of the Country Landowners and Rural Business Association (CLA).
Practice head(s):
Key clients
The Estate of the late John Herbert Strutt
The Ripley Castle Shoot
Rudding Park – Simon Mackaness
Sir Thomas & Lady Ingilby of the Ripley Castle estate
Various charities – WMT, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Chetwynde School
Liam Botham
Royal Horticultural Society
Yorkshire Agricultural Society
Work highlights
- Acting on the administration of the estate of the late John Herbert Strutt.
- Advising the owner of the Ripley Castle shoot and a number of other shooting estates.
- Advised Rudding Park Estate on the refinancing of the estate.
Mills & Reeve LLP
Mills & Reeve LLP has notable sector knowledge and handles a broad range of work in the agriculture and estates sector. Key clients include traditional farming clients, landed estates and national farming businesses including Farmcare Trading. The group has strong commercial expertise and is able to advise on agriculture-related matters including tax, insolvency, and planning mandates. Michael Aubrey is joint head of the food and agribusiness practice, while principal associate Andrea Newman heads up the team in Leeds.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
The Countryside Restoration Trust
Farmcare Trading Limited
Northumbrian Water Limited
Work highlights
- Advised the Countryside Restoration Trust on its diverse rural portfolio including setting up structures for farming agreements, which incorporate the charity’s core objectives.
- Advised an international client on its premises and the environmental regulations relating to its first UK urban farm.
- Acted for a settled trust on the acquisition of a significant rural estate.
Raworths
Raworths acts for a wide range of clients in the agriculture and rural sector, handling matters involving landed estates, farming and farm land, agri-businesses and rural leisure and other activities. Practice head Matthew Hill has significant experience dealing with agricultural and rural-based disputes with a particularly focus on property litigation.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Matthew Hill – extremely capable lawyer, excellent reassuring manner with clients, knows exactly how far to push the opposition to achieve a settlement if appropriate or when to take a matter to trial.’
‘Extremely down to earth, approachable and keen to progress matters.’
‘Raworths are a knowledgeable and experienced team, they are all based in one building making dealings with any of them, especially where more than one person is involved, seamless.’
Key clients
H. & F.N. Smith (Ellis Laithe) Limited
Mr Anthony Alton and W F Alton & Son Limited
Parkmount Estates Company (Allerton) Limited
Work highlights
- Acted for H. & F.N. Smith (Ellis Laithe) in a complex dispute with the City of Wakefield Metropolitan Council relating to a claim for a prescriptive right of way over a railway bridge.
- Acted for rural land owners in a dispute with the owners of neighbouring land, principally regarding the extent and scope of the right of way and allegations of trespass.
- Advised Parkmount Estates (Allerton) on a range of issues arising from its rural property portfolio including disputes regarding rights of way, adverse possession of development land, recovery of rent from commercial tenants and enforcement actions against residential tenants.
Rollits LLP
The private wealth group at Rollits LLP acts for substantial farmers, families and estates, and has particular expertise in AHA 1986 tenancies. The team also handles the full range of contentious and non-contentious work including farm and land sales and purchases, renewable projects, and landlord and tenant matters. The practice, which is led by Neil Franklin, has 'excellent sector knowledge'.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Fantastic communicators, always available and calls are always returned promptly. Excellent sector knowledge.’
‘Neil Franklin and his team are very affable and always available. They have great agri-industry knowledge and when others aren’t up to the job, you can count on Rollits.’
Key clients
Cranswick plc
NatWest Bank plc
Yorkshire Bank plc
Bishop Burton College
Irwin Mitchell
Irwin Mitchell handles high-value tax planning, development and strategic property work alongside asset structuring and succession planning issues. Joint practice head James Pavey specialises in advising large rural landholdings, high-net-worth individuals and institutional landowners. James Laycock also leads the practice and has notable experience in the contentious wills, trusts and estates arena.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘Irwin Mitchell have an incredibly large private client department and although it spans many geographical locations, it works very well as a coherent unit. This provides an unparalleled depth of expertise and also enables different fee earners to carry out different tasks to keep costs down. They have regular “away days” which means that each member of the team knows the other members even though they are in different cities, which allows for a free and easy flow of information.’
Key clients
Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (GLEAM)
Work highlights
- Representing GLEAM in judicial review proceedings against Lake District National Park Authority for its failure to make Traffic Regulation Orders to stop public vehicular use of historic highways through the Lake District National Park.
Knights plc
Knights plc has experience in advising major landowners, including farmers and landed estates. The practice is recognised for its work with landowners who have development land, telecoms and mobile phone mast matters, and tax and succession planning issues.