- Successfully represented an appellant farmer in the Court of Appeal, on the issue of equitable relief, in a proprietary estoppel claim concerning promises about the ownership of farmland worth over £10m (Moore -v- Moore [2018]).
- Successfully represented a farming son in a High Court proprietary estoppel claim involving farm land and assets worth £8-10m. The dispute centred on a 650-acre farm in Oxfordshire. The case was successful following a seven-day trial in the High Court of Justice, Chancery Division. (Gee -v- Gee [2018]).
- Acted for the partners of dairy farm in a dispute about who owned farm land worth many millions. One partner was retiring and claimed that the farm land was owned by the partnership (including him) and that he was entitled to millions of pounds for his share. However, upon our thorough investigation of the retiring partner we discovered that in his earlier matrimonial divorce he had stated that the farm land was not a partnership asset but belonged to his parents. It was our investigation which resulted in an extremely favourable settlement to our farming clients, which allowed them to continue farming with the farm remaining in-tact for future generations.
- Successful at arbitration in a dispute concerning the ownership of a family dairy farm worth £4m. The case involved a son retiring from the farming partnership who sought a dissolution of the partnership, a sale of the farm and the paying to him of his share. We acted for the remaining partners who wished to avoid dissolution and continue in partnership together. There was a dispute on whether a longstanding and valuable Agricultural Holdings Act Tenancy was partially owned by the retiring partner, and if it was, a further dispute about the correct way to value it. This involved contested valuation advice from several well-known national land agents. Our farming clients were successful at arbitration. It is worth noting that in many farm partnership agreements there are ‘arbitration clauses’ and careful consideration needs to be made concerning whether they apply.
- Acting for a land owner in an adverse possession claim at trial, successfully defending the claim on his behalf following which the unsuccessful claimant was ordered to pay our client’s legal costs.
- Advising a farming couple in relation to an adverse possession claim over their land by the Woodland Trust.
- Winning a trial on behalf of a farmer against his former girlfriend who claimed our client had gifted her some land. Following a two-day trial our farming client was successful in demonstrating that the land was not a gift, but he was part owner of the land under trust. The case involved an application for an order for sale of the land under the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 and our client was also entitled to recover his legal costs.