Independent UK law firm Burges Salmon is proud to have acted for longstanding client Oxygen Conservation on its acquisition of Dorback Estate, the most significant natural capital land purchase in the history of the UK.
Nestled within the breathtaking Cairngorms National Park and spanning 15,000 acres of moorland, forest, and mountainous terrain, the acquisition increases Oxygen Conservation’s portfolio to over 43,000 acres, supporting its vision to scale conservation across the UK. With vast potential for woodland creation, habitat recovery, and sustainable tourism, the extraordinary Dorback Estate landscape offers a unique opportunity to advance Oxygen Conservation’s goals of long-term environmental restoration and positive social impact.
Burges Salmon has been working with Oxygen Conservation since it was founded in 2021 and has acted on all of its twelve land acquisitions stretching from the moors of Devon to the glens of the Scottish Highlands. The team advising on the one-of-a-kind Dorback Estate deal was led by partner Ross Simpson and included senior associates Sarah Stewart and Eilidh Wood, associate and chartered tax adviser Claire Withers and associate Darren Thomson.
George Pawley, Oxygen Conservation’s General Counsel, comments: ”We are incredibly excited that the spectacular Dorback Estate is now part of the Oxygen Conservation portfolio. Deals like this are demanding, complex and time consuming, and Burges Salmon’s talented and dedicated team have provided excellent advice and support throughout the lengthy acquisition process. Our partnership with Burges Salmon has been an important part of our journey to this point and we look forward to working with the firm as we continue to Scale Conservation in the years to come.”
Ross Simpson of Burges Salmon adds: “We’re extremely proud to be working with Oxygen Conservation as it transforms and enriches sites across the UK for the good of our planet and our communities and to be part of their vision to redefine what it means to do conservation by highlighting the huge opportunities rural land present. It’s a really exciting time to be part of the emerging natural markets and to see land as an opportunity to provide a lot of the solutions to the biggest problems that we face around nature, biodiversity crisis and climate change.”
Burges Salmon’s Real Estate practice is one of the largest in the UK and includes a large number of dual qualified lawyers, uniquely positioning the firm to advise on UK-wide projects. The firm’s specialist Estates and Land team advises a broad range of estate and landowners as well as institutional and international investors in rural property, entrepreneurs, farmers and owners of historic estates on the full spectrum of legal issues from property transactions, tax, estate management, environmental, finance and commercial matters.