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Farming

Our nationally renowned agricultural disputes lawyers provide expert and practical analysis and resolve disputes effectively.  

Burges Salmon's farming sector legal expertise includes rural land ownership, partnership formation, and succession planning.
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Farming in the UK takes place within a variety of structures and relationships, all governed by a complex interplay of laws and regulations.

This intricate legal landscape means that farmers and rural landowners often require specialist advice to tackle a wide range of legal issues. Our team of farming lawyers provide advice on all aspects of farming business structures, including partnership formation, corporate and joint venture structuring, tax and succession planning.

In addition to our expertise in farming law, we deal with rural land ownership, delivering practical and commercial legal advice by drawing on our expertise on property, tax and estate planning. This holistic approach enables us to address the challenging issues of passing property to the next generation.

Services

Partnership formation

Advice on establishing farming partnerships to record agreed terms and protect the business and its assets, as well as changes to existing partnerships.

Corporate and joint venture structuring

Legal solutions for structuring corporate entities and joint ventures within the farming sector.

Succession planning

Strategic planning to manage and pass on your farming business to the next generation.

Sales, purchases and mortgages

Support for transactions involving rural properties, ensuring secure and efficient processes.

Agricultural tenancies

Dealing with all aspects of agricultural tenancies.

Disputes (property and general disputes)

Legal expertise in resolving property and general disputes related to farming and rural land ownership.

Real estate

Assistance with all aspects of real estate transactions, including acquisition, sale and development of farmland.

Renewables

Advice on integrating renewable energy projects into your farming operations for sustainable growth.

Tax and estate planning

In-depth tax planning and estate management services to optimise your farming business and preserve assets.

Examples of our work

Farming partnership dispute

Advised on a high-value and complex farming partnership dispute, addressing agricultural tenancies, family trusts, succession issues, tax planning, and land transfer arrangements including development rights.

Drake v Harvey and others

Successfully acted in the high-profile partnership valuation case of Drake v Harvey.

Co-operative Group

Managed the sale of rural properties and a farm in Oxfordshire for the Co-operative Group, navigating complex legal provisions and clawback arrangements to maximise client returns.

Estate succession and tax planning

Advised multiple estates on succession planning, tax strategies, trusts, and partnerships, ensuring smooth estate transfers and optimal tax efficiency for farming clients.

£100 million loan security

Provided legal advice on securing over £100 million in loans, covering all aspects of security over single farm payments and entitlements ensuring compliance with financial regulations.

Family farm

Assisted a family farming company with restructuring a clawback arrangement on 2,000 acres of farmland, balancing financial interests and long-term land use planning.

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Our team

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What others say

“Professional, confidential and extremely communicative, the teams I work with at Burges Salmon are very experienced and always thinking of the client. They are patient and take great care in ensuring their work is understood. They listen and will adapt their approach to suit the client.”

Legal 500 2025

“Burges Salmon has a pre-eminent reputation in this field which they have maintained over many decades and which is deserved because the amount of experience and expertise they have built up over that time. ”

Legal 500 2025

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The Pink Book 2

As testament to our commitment to the farming sector, we have published The Pink Book (2nd edition), our comprehensive legal guide for landowners and farmers. This resource, which covers a wide range of topics from buying, selling and developing farmland, to estate planning and employment law, is available for free download.

Download now
Farming with tractor
Farming, agriculture, tractor

Insights

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