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Agriculture and farming law solicitors

We have advised farmers, landowners, public bodies and other rural businesses for more than forty years. This has provided us with an in-depth understanding of the issues arising in agricultural law. As a Top 100 full service law firm, our lawyers have the depth and breadth of expertise and experience to assist our clients in this specialist sector.

We appreciate the pressures you face as farmers and understand the need to fit in with your farming day and year. We want to work with you to help you grow and protect your business. We take pride in providing an excellent level of client service and are committed to building a trusted relationship with you. In addition, as Wales’ largest law firm and a proud Welsh business, we promote, use and grow the Welsh language.

Key contact

Matthew Evans

Partner

Matthew is a partner and heads up the firm’s private wealth offering. He is responsible for the development, implementation and long-term strategy of the team.

Matthew has a UK-wide reputation in the field of contentious probate, recognised by his clients and peers in the leading legal directories.

Hugh James provides a ‘very strong and comprehensive service’ to a wide range of farming clients including high-net-worth landowners and farmers, as well as numerous public sector entities. The ‘hugely respected’ Matthew Evans regularly handles work for agricultural clients as part of his broad-ranging wealth management practice.

The Legal 500

Our services

Our key agricultural services are:

Commercial

  • Farming partnerships and companies
  • Joint ventures
  • Agricultural contracts
  • Employment advice
  • Partnership, director and shareholder disputes

Property

  • Farm sales and purchases
  • Agricultural and business tenancies
  • Wayleaves, easements, mineral rights and covenants
  • Rights of way and boundary disputes
  • Common land and town and village greens
  • Telecommunications
  • Compulsory purchase
  • Renewable energy
  • Rural planning and development
  • Diversification and tourism

Private wealth

  • Inheritance advice and succession planning
  • Trusts and estate administration
  • Succession disputes, including proprietary estoppel claims
  • Family law, including advice on protecting the family farm against divorce
  • Care home fees

Regulatory

  • Advising on investigations and prosecutions by regulatory bodies
  • Health and safety
  • Shotgun licence enquiries and appeals
  • Motoring offences

Farming continuity planning

As part of our specialist services to agricultural clients, we offer a range of products designed to protect the future of farming businesses.

We understand that a farming business is often a joint endeavour of several generations of the same family. This arrangement has often existed for many years and continues to the benefit of future generations.

The impact that a lack of formal or complete future planning can have on a business can be devastating, for instance where a farming partner dies or loses capacity.

Whilst informal plans for the future will almost certainly be in place between farming partners, those arrangements will not always necessarily be recognised at law or, indeed, by family members outside of the farming business. That can lead to costly and bitter disputes which can threaten the future of the farming business.

With that in mind, Hugh James offers a range of products for clients in the agricultural sector designed to ensure that appropriate plans are put in place to secure a smooth transition to future members of a farming business, whenever that is necessary. These products can be purchased separately or, as a package, depending on your needs.

Related services

Hugh James independent financial advisers Wills by Hugh James

Next steps

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