I joined Tees Commercial Property Team in September 2022 having been a Senior Associate at other leading national law firms. I am a highly experienced commercial property lawyer who has chosen to specialise in the agriculture and rural land sector since 2007.
I qualified as a solicitor in 1996 and then, in 2012, I qualified as a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association. I have a particular interest in being able to offer clients an overview of all agricultural and rural matters including property, tax, tenancy, succession issues and natural capital and biodiversity net gain.
My expertise extends to property development and finance, green issues and related commercial agreements. I have acted for farmers, landowners and landed estates, dealing with agricultural tenancies, estate management, rural property and development and acting for rural charities.
I have acted for a number of charity landowners vesting land in the Official Custodian for Charities, vesting land in Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIO’s), dealing with permanent endowment property.
Recent/significant transactions include:
- purchase of a farm in excess of £6.5M with multiple titles with the assignment of contract farming agreement, carbon sequestration agreement, shooting rights, possessory title and overage in respect of residential development and solar development;
- acting for a landowner on a Section 106 agreement and habitat management agreement for biodiversity net gain (BNG) off site offsetting (direct agreement);
- acting for a landowner on a site for biodiversity net gain (BNG) with a habitat bank provider, involving farm business tenancies and a habitat management agreement (indirect agreement);
- drafting and advising a nationally significant landowner on a long lease for a Biodiversity Net Gain and Woodland Carbon Unit project with a natural solutions consultancy tenant;
- acting for a landowner on a hybrid option/promotion agreement for a large development with a national housebuilder;
- acting for a family trust on a complex and high value re finance arrangement on rural land to raise funds for diversification and development projects to be carried out by a separate trading entity.
I am also the Honorary Secretary of the Surveyors 1921 Club, a club made up of surveyors and allied professions from Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas which was established over 100 years ago and provides continuing professional development and opportunities to participate and share knowledge relating to property and other relevant matters.
