Specialising in secured lending on land and agribusiness assets, sales and purchases of farms, as well as agricultural property issues and tenancies, Burnetts‘ agribusiness department in Carlisle covers advice on structuring of agribusinesses, renewable energy projects, dispute resolution and wills, trusts and probate issues. The department is led by Joanne McKenzie, who is a specialist in agricultural tenancy matters and the implications of the Agricultural Holdings Act (AHA) 1986, including AHA tenancy successions, surrenders and tenancy negotiations between parties. Richard Miller assists farmers, estate owners and agri-related businesses with a wide range of banking and property finance-related matters; Diane Barnes specialises in high-value farm sales and purchases; and Megan Richardson deals with both agricultural and commercial property matters.

Cartmell Shepherd is adept at handling ‘the full range of services needed for farmers – land sales, divorce, conveyancing, partnership disputes, wills, estate planning’, specialising in sales and purchases, issues relating to the ownership of mines and minerals, renewable energy projects and common land mandates. The team is well-regarded for its expertise in tenancy matters and contested succession cases, and Jonathan Carroll, who covers contentious and non-contentious matters including AHA tenancies, and the creation and dissolution of partnerships, heads up the department in Carlisle. Mark Jackson and Katherine Pretswell-Walker specialise in the sale and acquisition of farms, estates, forestry and complex rural residential property. In Brampton, Kendra Winter assists with trusts, farming wills and probate, while Penrith-based Bethan Griffiths handles agricultural transactional and leasehold work.

Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP frequently assists significant landowners, public authorities and quasi-public bodies, private estate owners and other landowning organisations nationwide. Simon Kirkup leads the department and advises on the ownership of landed estates, and the acquisition and management of farms and estates. Andrew Farquharson‘s practice covers all aspects of rural property, with particular expertise in the grant of options and leases to renewable energy operators. Other key members of the team are Rosanne Tweddle, Alice Causer, Ellen Rutherford and Georgina Suddes, who all cover a broad range of advice in connection to rural properties.

Based in Darlington, Latimer Hinks Solicitors‘ farms and estates team brings together expertise from the firm's private client and commercial property teams, offering comprehensive advice on the sale, purchase and letting of farms, estates and woodland, landed estate management issues, and succession and inheritance tax planning work. The team is led by Gillian Ibbotson, who has vast experience in wills, trusts, complex estates and succession planning issues, while Elizabeth Armstrong assists clients in all areas of private client work, in particular estate, wealth and tax planning matters. Adam Wood is adept at handling agricultural property matters and all aspects of rural land ownership.

Muckle LLP‘s agriculture, estates and rural property department in Newcastle is led by the ‘extremely experienced’ David Towns, who is an expert in rural property matters with a particular focus on landed estate management issues, sporting rights and minerals rights work. Julie Garbutt is the key contact for estate planning work, while Charlotte Patterson-Ryan specialises in agricultural tenancies and real estate finance offerings and is recommended for her ‘outstanding’ technical knowledge. Other key members are Sarah Barratt, who covers real estate disputes; Rachael Stephenson, who advises on trusts and personal planning for business owners; Tim Boardman, who handles a wide range of private client matters; and associate Kathryn Boyd.

Assisting local farmers, landowners, rural businesses, estates, private clients, banks and investors, Sintons LLP’s rural services department advises on the acquisition and disposal of farming ventures, agricultural holdings and development projects in addition to the registration of portfolios of mines and minerals, and manorial rights. Exemplifying this is department head Tom Wills, who is a leading expert in this area. Emma Saunders is a contentious probate and trusts specialist, and Paul Liddle acts for clients in the energy, waste and renewables sectors, with a particular emphasis on coal mines and wind farms. Sam Watts is well-versed in rights of way and easement issues.

Advising high-net-worth farms, estates, agricultural businesses and individuals as well as smaller tenant farmers, Gibson & Co Solicitors Ltd provides agricultural and commercial property knowledge from the firm’s Hexham office, and fields litigation, private wealth and corporate teams in the Newcastle office. Harry Chrisp leads the private client team and covers a wide range of work, including the sale and purchase of rural properties, development options and conditional contracts. Suzanne Forster supports on commercial and agricultural property transactions.

Newcastle-based Hay & Kilner‘s agriculture and rural department acts on the sale and purchase of land, farms, estates and rural residential properties, and also advises on mineral rights, energy and infrastructure matters as well as drafting contract farming agreements for modern farming practices. Department head Alison Hall has particular expertise in claiming agricultural and business property relief and the preparation of farming partnership agreements, while Joanne Milne is the key contact in relation to sale and purchase transactions involving rural and agricultural properties. Richard Marshall departed to Hill Dickinson LLP in November 2023.

Newcastle-based Ward Hadaway LLP‘s rural land and estates department advises private landowners, farmers, rural businesses, banks operating in the sector and other rural-based organisations on a wide range of issues, including development and land planning issues, and renewable energy projects. The department is led by Stefan Bainbridge, who assists clients with all aspects of rural property, including the sale and purchase of estates, farms and rural investment portfolios. Alex Cox covers all aspects of rural property transactional work, mine and mineral issues, and the property aspects of energy projects.