Susie Murray > Ashfords LLP > Exeter, England > Lawyer Profile

Ashfords LLP
ASHFORD HOUSE
GRENADIER ROAD
EXETER
EX1 3LH
England

Work Department

Residential Property

Position

Partner

Career

Susie is a Partner in the Residential Property Team specialising in non-contentious agricultural, equestrian and rural matters.

Susie advises in complex high value transactions, secured lending, sales, purchases, tenancies, contract farming and share farming agreements, and equestrian contracts. Her work focuses on supporting clients in agriculture, landed estates and family businesses. She also acts for private corporate and institutional clients.

Susie has experience advising on:

  • disposals of multimillion pound farming business including presale tax planning, environmental and overage provisions
  • purchase of large tracts of arable land, advising landed estates in respect of sporting rights, tenancies and mines and minerals
  • collaboration agreements such as contract and share farming agreements
  • deeds of variation to remove modern ground rent provisions and lease extensions on rural properties
  • disposal of farms on retirement
  • auction sales in lots
  • advice on farm payment issues
  • voluntary first registrations
  • letting of property including agricultural workers’ dwellings

Susie is ranked in band 1 in Chambers 2020.

Chambers 2019, “she is very practical and she will just get things done”.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

  • Private clients: Specialising in rural and equestrian non-contentious property matters, sales, purchases, tenancies, secured lending, easements, sporting rights and profits a  prendre. Support to private client wealth planning and succession. Support to dispute resolution team such as partnership disputes and contested inheritance matters. Supporting family team.
  • Agricultural businesses: Acting for large agricultural businesses in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset with a broad range of deals and complexities.
  • Farming business: Acting for a progressive diversified farming business in the acquisition of 3 farms during the course of the last 6 years with continued expansion plans.
  • Investor: Acting for a European professional investor in portfolio acquisitions.

Lawyer Rankings

South West > Private client > Agriculture and estates

Ashfords LLP is a strong choice for clients seeking assistance on property transactional work, contentious trusts and probate, secured lending, and environmental compliance matters. The team, which ‘deploys IQ and EQ in spades’, is led by Susie Murray, a fellow of the Agricultural Law Association who is noted for her expertise across rural affairs. The ‘hugely knowledgeable’ Jonathan Hickman advises on a range of private client matters, including complex wills.