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Ross Simpson

Partner

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About

Ross is a partner in the Real Estate department, specialising in strategic land and rural property. He is ranked in Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner for both London and the South West.

He is an experienced property lawyer whose clients include traditional land and estate owners, family trusts, farm partnerships, charitable foundations as well as institutions and investors. He undertakes complex strategic land work advising on options, promotion agreements and conditional contracts associated with major projects regularly acting for consortia of landowners.

His wide-ranging rural practice spans the purchase and sale of estates, farms, country houses, commercial forestry, island properties, sporting rights and salmon fishing. His expertise also extends to advising on the real estate aspects of natural capital and ecosystem services projects involving the sale of environmental credits such as woodland planting, habitat creation, re-wilding, peatland restoration and catchment management schemes.

Ross presents on rural property matters at professional events, is a Writer to His Majesty’s Signet and was formerly an external examiner to the University of Glasgow.

He is dual qualified to practise in England and Wales, and Scotland.

Experience

  • Farming estates: Acting as lead legal adviser on the £100 million+ freehold sale of two farming estates comprising 8,350 acres, 20 residential properties and a number of let renewable energy schemes as well as winding up of a major contract farming operation.
  • Oxygen Conservation: Acting as lead legal adviser on the acquisition of all its landholdings across England, Scotland and Wales for innovative natural capital projects including habitat creation, woodland creation and peatland restoration.
  • Family Trusts: Acting for two family trusts in relation to ongoing performance and disposal of development land under a completed hybrid agreement for a garden city project lying to the northwest of Cardiff allocated for the development of 7,000 homes.
  • Private landowners: Acting for private landowners joining with a Cambridge College in entering into a promotion agreement and drafting of equalisation, collaboration and cross option agreements in respect of 150 acres of land for mixed use, residential led development.
  • Private family trust: Acting for a private family trust and associated investment vehicles in preparing and negotiating drawdown and investment agreements relating to the multi-phased development of a business park.
  • Energy developers: Acting as a ‘go to’ adviser on specialist matters affecting UK rural land both in England and Wales, and in Scotland, including agricultural holdings, forestry, right to buy legislation, sporting rights, crofting and minerals.

Credentials

  • Admitted as a solicitor: Scotland (2004), England & Wales (2017)

Areas of expertise

Sector focus

Office

“Ross Simpson stands out as one of the leading conveyancing lawyers in the specialist market for large agricultural estates in the UK. Excellent technical expertise, coupled with an easy personal manner and great at communicating.”

Legal 500 UK, 2025

“Ross Simpson and his team fight on behalf of their clients. They use simple, well-rehearsed arguments and experience to diffuse difficult situations and fractious meetings. They interact very well, are courteous, professional and attentive. Above all, they are reliable.”

Legal 500 UK, 2025

“Ross Simpson is an absolute star.”

Chambers UK, 2025

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