Private client
Regarded as ‘one of the best agriculture teams in the country’, Michelmores LLP leverages its contentious and non-contentious expertise for landed estates, government bodies, charities, corporations and agribusinesses. The firm also possesses particular expertise in the natural capital sector. The team is spearheaded by litigation expert Adam Corbin, the ’outstandingly good’ Ben Sharples and the ‘superb’ Vivienne Williams. Rachel O’Connor focuses on regenerative and sustainable agriculture matters. Josie Edwards specialises in agricultural tenancy matters, including restructures. Charlotte Razay advises on succession matters and partnership disputes.
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Profile
Work Department
Private Client
Position
I head up the Agriculture team at Michelmores and I advise on a broad range of contentious agricultural matters, helping clients to navigate their way through difficult issues in a constantly evolving sector.
My expertise includes agricultural property disputes, contractual disputes, co-ownership and trust disputes. I have particular expertise in landlord and tenant, succession and farming partnership disputes and my practice also covers estoppel claims, rights of way, possession claims, natural capital issues, issues relating to the potential development of land, agricultural banking and insolvency.
I am often brought in to provide strategic advice at the outset, but in more heavily contested matters I attend mediations and take cases through arbitration, Tribunal or court proceedings.
The experience that I have gained in advising on contentious matters leads me to have a unique insight into advising on the pitfalls to avoid when dealing with partnership formation and dissolution, the grant or surrender of tenancies and complex restructurings including the division of land as family businesses evolve.
My client base is broad and spread across England and Wales. I act for farming businesses, entrepreneurs, land owners, estates, lending institutions, receivers and local authorities.
I regularly lecture to the RICS and CAAV and to groups of accountants. I contributed to the LexisNexis Encyclopaedia of Forms and Precedents, Agricultural Tenancies Volume and also to the 10th Edition of Scammell, Densham and Williams’s Law of Agricultural Holdings.
Expertise
Content supplied by Michelmores LLP
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Multi-functional practice and well respected within the country house, farm and estate world. They have the expertise within their firm to deal with most domestic and international UHNW requirements.’
‘One of the leading firms in this practice area, with a number of very experienced solicitors who know a great deal about agricultural disputes.’
Key clients
- Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
- Wildfowl and Wetland Trust
Work highlights
Advising the River Axe Landscape Recovery Project on the Development of a 20+ year scheme underpinned by DEFRA's Landscape Recovery funding.