how we helped our clients

Here are some case studies that illustrate the best examples of what we have achieved for our clients:

Common agricultural policy

During the implementation of the Single Farm Payment as a consequence of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy to date we have been involved heavily in advising existing clients, new clients, other professionals including solicitors and writing articles on and lecturing about the Single Farm Payment.

We assisted one particular client on providing advice and bespoke documentation relating to the short term occupation of a significant area of land for the growing of a vegetable crop and the implications that the Single Farm Payment had upon him and his business both in 2005 and ongoing.

We assisted a number of new clients in giving advice upon their existing contracts for sale or purchase of land and farms in relation to the transfer of the Single Farm Payment and in particular bespoke drafting of deeds of variation to them in order for the Single Farm Payments to pass in accordance with the intention of the parties.

We assisted a number of existing and new clients on the drafting of various deeds of variation to existing tenancies, clauses for new tenancies being entered into as well as short term occupation agreements of land and joint venture agreements in relation to the Single Farm Payment.

Estate purchase

We acted for a new client in the purchase of a substantial agricultural holding with a variety of expiring and unexpired occupancy tenures by way of purchase of part, an option over two further parts and pre emptive right to purchase a further part. There were considerable issues of title and transfer of the Single Farm Payment to resolve to the purchaser from the seller’s departing tenants relating to ordinary and fruit, vegetable and potato payments.

We acted in the sale for an existing client in the sale of large agricultural holding with associated woodland. Working closely with the client and his agents pre market meant that various issues could be resolved enabling the property to be sold from acceptance of the offer to exchange of contracts in 36 hours at a price considerably in excess of the guide price.

Partition of a farming business

Following a referral from a third party we became involved in the dissolution of a family farming partnership. This included the sub division of the main agricultural activities into constituent parts and the relocation of them onto various blocks of land, the transfer of the relevant assets to the partners with associated contract and tenancy documentation.

Occupancies

We have been involved in a number of bespoke drafting of farm business tenancies pursuant to inheritance tax planning schemes on behalf of landlords changing the statutory basis of the tenancies from those under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 to that under the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 to maximise agricultural property relief to 100%.

We drafted for a regional firm of land agents bespoke grazing and occupancy licences relating to the rights pertaining to the Single Farm Payment in its first year of introduction in order for either the landowner to capture the payments and the right to receive them or the licensee with provisions on termination.

We have drafted numerous share farming, contract farming and joint venture agreements between parties to take into account the share of profits and again Single Farm Payment payments and the division of the assets on termination.

Parma ham

We have experience in dealing with regional titles for products. In the case of whether a regional product can still be referred to by its regional title if part of the production process (in this case the slicing and packaging) takes place outside the region, the CW dispute resolution team acted for one of the successful parties in the “Parma Ham” litigation which was heard by the European Court of Justice.

Site access and section 106

Our Planning and Environment team has extensive experience in Section 106 agreements. A good example of our work includes negotiations around site access. The team negotiated a series of Section 106 Agreements in relation to the provision of access. The access was from a division of one of Europe’s largest juice producers existing site in Bridgwater, Somerset to the newly constructed Bridgwater Northern Distributor Road where the company also provided some of the land for the building of the road.

Whistle blowing

In a whistle blowing case our employment team was called in to advise a meat manufacturing company in connection with a whistle blowing by a Trade Union official which had strategic impact on the company.

Employment policy

Our employment team has recently advised two major food production companies in reviewing their employment policies, in giving strategic advice regarding Trade Unions, in advising on the Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations, and on foreign and UK national agency workers.