Praised for its ‘comprehensive understanding of agricultural matters’, Freeths LLP’s broad offering covers estate acquisitions and sales, litigation, and tax planning work. Iain Davis oversees the practice and is experienced in environmental matters, agricultural tenancies, and landed estate developments. Masood Ahmed is often engaged in rural property transactions, Lisa Mark-Bell is noted for her tax expertise, and Rosalyn Shephard handles tenancy disputes. Clare Bellis, Tom Walker, and Katherine Burge are other key team members.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The firm demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of agricultural matters and the intricacies of agricultural law.'
- 'Freeths have a strong farming practice with good tax and contentious teams.'
- 'Clare Bellis has been very responsive and knowledgeable.'
- 'The Freeths team possesses extensive knowledge of agricultural affairs and the technicalities of agricultural law, consistently delivering practical and insightful legal solutions.'
- 'Iain Davis controlled the detailed negotiations with supreme skill, perseverance, patience, and with the highest professionalism. He is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, and a pleasure to work with.'
- 'Iain Davis is very accessible, understanding, and supportive. He is a pleasure to work with and highly skilled.'
- 'The Freeths team have a great knowledge of agricultural affairs and the technicalities of agricultural law.'
- 'Iain Davis is a key contact and explains extremely technical subjects in a very user-friendly manner.'
- 'There's always someone on hand to assist with all the enquiries and points that need resolving.'
- 'Masood Ahmed very knowledgeable, always able to pull on resources within the company to assist with any problems that arise. Highly communicative throughout transactions and exceedingly efficient.'
Key clients
- Trinity College Oxford
- Carington Estate
- West Wycombe Estate
- New College
- Trustees of the Swanbourne Estate
- Peterborough City Council
- East Lindsey District Council
- Central Bedfordshire Council
- The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution
- Trustees of the Shotover Estate
- Tarmac Group of Companies
- Chancerygate Group of Companies
Work highlights
Advised a Landed Estate Owner on the grant of an Option Agreement for over 1,350 acres of land.
Advised a Landed Estate Owner on the purchase of a 1,800-acre Lincolnshire Estate for £23.5m.
Advised a Landed Estate Owner concerning the Network Rail (East West Rail) (Bicester to Bedford Improvements) Order 2020 coming into force to enable Network Rail to purchase biodiversity net gain units from the Estate.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Masood Ahmed
Practice head
Iain Davis
Other key lawyers
Masood Ahmed: Lisa Mark-Bell; Rosalyn Shephard; Clare Bellis; Tom Walker; Katherine Burge