Leveraging core first-hand farming knowledge, Welsh language capabilities and excellent geographical diversity (with lawyers based in locations in north, west, mid and south Wales), specialist agricultural and rural affairs firm Agri Advisor Legal LLP is well-positioned to represent clients, irrespective of geographical location, across the gamut of their legal needs in the sector. As well as her overarching strategic expertise, built upon a core understanding of agricultural policy, Nerys Llewelyn Jones also regularly advises farming clients on succession planning and litigation. Carmarthen-based Manon Williams is a key contact for clients throughout southwest Wales, offering particular experience in Succession and Estate Planning, Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies and Farm Business tenancies. Other key practitioners include Awel Mai Hughes, Rachel Phillips and Llio Phillips, who respectively head up the private client, property and dispute resolution divisions at the firm.
Agriculture and estates in Wales
Agri Advisor Legal LLP
Responsables de la pratique:
Awel Mai Hughes; Rachel Phillips; Llio Phillips
Autres avocats clés:
Dr Nerys Llewelyn Jones; Arwyn Reed; Elin Owen; Karen Anthony; Manon Williams
Principaux dossiers
JCP Solicitors
Now headed out of Cardiff by Rhys Evans, following Rory Hutchings' departure in April 2023 to Harrison Clark Rickerbys, and also aided by a strong presence in Swansea and Carmarthen, JCP Solicitors remains well-positioned to represent farming clients throughout the South, West and East of Wales across a wide variety of work. A fluent Welsh speaker, Evans' personal sweet-spot remains advising on property litigation mandates, from advice on agricultural landlord and tenant and boundary disputes, through to cutting-edge guidance on the new planning policies relating to phosphate levels in rivers designated as Special Areas of Conservation. Agricultural/landowning clients also benefit from access to the firm's exceptional broader private client capabilities, including tailored advice on complex estate and will planning matters. Richard Howells is also a key member of the multi-disciplinary team and regularly advises farming clients on contentious probate matters, including as it relates proprietary estoppel claims.
Responsables de la pratique:
Rhys Evans
Autres avocats clés:
Sean Boucher; Richard Howells; Jonathan Flynn; Rachel Morris; Tomas Davies; Sally Milliner
Principaux clients
NFU Cymru
Principaux dossiers
Harrison Clark Rickerbys
Drawing upon a 'deep understanding of the industry', Harrison Clark Rickerbys provides 'pertinent and professional advice' to a range of stakeholders in the agricultural sector. Although the firm already had some capability in the area, the arrival in May 2023 of the well-regarded and experienced Rory Hutchings from JCP Solicitors galvanised the practice, providing it with a focal point with which to coalesce its expertise across a myriad property, commercial and private client issues. Hutchings himself is best-known for his contentious expertise in the sector, with strategic and high-profile advice being dispensed to clients across a range of issues, running the gamut from rights of way and common land matters, through to environmental and planning issues. Other key members of the team include Bryn Thomas , who combines litigation and sector knowledge (he is from a farming background) to good effect, and Aled Owen, who has deep regulatory knowledge.
Responsables de la pratique:
Rory Hutchings
Autres avocats clés:
Bryn Thomas; Aled Owen; Gareth Williams; Laura Greenman; Nia Griffiths; Rosie Lewis
Les références
‘The agriculture and estates practice at HCR provides pertinent and professional advice and can effectively handle complex matters in specialist areas.’
‘It is a practice that is comprised of individuals with direct and often personal links to agriculture and its divergent and complex needs.’
‘They provide an outstanding service which is delivered in a calm and professional manner.’
Principaux dossiers
Hugh James
Sitting within the firm's broader private wealth offering but also able to leverage areas of expertise in other key firmwide practice areas, including property, litigation and regulatory, Hugh James is a popular choice among agricultural clients across a broad array of their contentious and non-contentious requirements. Team head Matthew Evans has a strong track record advising on inheritance disputes within the sector, including on proprietary estoppel matters, as does 'legal powerhouse' Roman Kubiak, who achieves 'superb results' for clients, including a recent high-profile matter which provided clarity on the issues of detriment and remedy in the context of a proprietary estoppel claim.
Responsables de la pratique:
Matthew Evans
Autres avocats clés:
Sarah O’Grady; Catrin Griffiths; Victoria Cannon; Samantha Roberts; Roman Kubiak; David King; Richard Pike; Victoria Jones; Eleanor Evans; Richard MacPhail; Martin Jones; Richard Locke
Les références
‘Roman Kubiak is a legal powerhouse, charming with clients, a ferocious negotiator and gets superb results.’
‘Very skilled lawyers – Sarah O’Grady is very knowledgeable.’
‘Hugh James are leaders in their field across Wales.’
Principaux clients
Stephen and Gwen Hughes
A Farming Partnership
Principaux dossiers
- Acting for the defendants in a claim remitted to the High Court from the Court of Appeal to consider the issues of detriment and remedy in the context of proprietary estoppel. The claim related to farmland and promises made by the deceased to his son that he would inherit that land.
- Assisted a farming partnership in achieving an incredibly favourable settlement in following a claim pursued by an outgoing partner of a partnership at will. The client also sought estate planning legal advice with a view of establishing a discretionary trust for their agricultural assets.
Lanyon Bowdler
Since it was established in 2019, Lanyon Bowdler's Conwy office has flourished, extending the firm's ability to service clients in Shropshire and Cheshire, as well as successfully growing its base of North Walian landowners. The scope of the work has also grown as a result of some recent hires, with core agricultural property expertise being enhanced by lawyers with expertise at handling private client and broader corporate/commercial expertise. Team head Edward Nutting is key to the office's success, connecting well with clients as a result of his vast agricultural property knowledge, in particular, as well as by dint of his ability to communicate in the medium of Welsh, if necessary.
Responsables de la pratique:
Edward Nutting
Les références
‘I have always had more than satisfactory performance and personnel ready to assist as and when required.’
‘Welsh speaking, and with a personal touch.’
Principaux clients
Lord Newborough
Trustees of The Wynne-Finch Estate Trust
Sweeney Estate Trustees
John Kite
Mr & Mrs Crossley
Oxbury Bank
Menter a Busnes/Farming Connect
Principaux dossiers
- Appointed to the legal panel of rural lending specialists Oxbury Bank.
- Appointed to Farming Connect’s delivery framework to give specialist advice to eligible farm businesses in Wales. We have been appointed to provide succession advice and also preparing and advising on various joint venture schemes.
- Acting on behalf of Lord Newborough in connection with the day to day legal advice sought in relation to the diverse Rhug and Glynllifon Estates in North Wales, comprising approx. 12,500 acres.
RDP Law
Agricultural work underpins a significant amount of Newport-based firm RDP Law‘s workflow, whether it be in the context of property, litigation or private client-related matters. Sioned Thomas leads the multidisciplinary team and is particularly well-versed at advising on estate administration and succession planning for clients in the sector, which are appreciative of her legal knowledge, as well as her first-hand insight into the challenges facing agricultural clients – being herself from a farming background. Real estate head James Davies is also adept at handling work in the sector, including for landowners in the context of large renewable energy schemes.
Responsables de la pratique:
Sioned Thomas
Autres avocats clés:
James Davies; Adrienne Brigden