Laura Mackain-Bremner

Laura helps her clients resolve complex commercial and agricultural disputes

Laura’s background & experience

With over 12 years in practice, Laura specialises in advising individuals and businesses in commercial disputes relating to companies, partnerships, contracts and commercial agreements. Laura is a partner in the commercial and private client litigation team, with a particular focus on agri-business, agri-tech and food & drink producers. Laura’s commercial litigation practice is broad and she regularly advises clients from all sectors on any number of contentious matters ranging from breach of contract to defamation. She handles a wide range of disputes, including anything from artificial insemination and genetics to disputed debts and unfair prejudice. Laura trained at Lester Aldridge, qualifying into its litigation team in London in 2013. Before moving back to Somerset to join Clarke Willmott she worked for a boutique litigation firm in London, joining Clarke Willmott in 2017.

As an experienced partner within the commercial and private client litigation team Laura is an exceptional mentor for our juniors. Sharing her expertise and providing insightful feedback she fosters their professional development and enabling them to contribute to the team’s overall success whilst helping to develop strength and depth within the team. Laura has been instrumental in the setting up a networking group for women working within agricultural in the South West.

South West Women in Agriculture (SWAg) run regular networking and knowledge sharing attended by both agricultural professionals and those working directly in agriculture. As Vice President of the Executive Committee of Taunton Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Agricultural Law Association Laura is an active and well respected member of the local business community.

Areas of expertise

• Breach of contract or contractual disputes;
• Debt claims;
• Defamation;
• Shareholder/partner disputes;
• Fraud;
• Judicial review
• Professional negligence
• Civil dispute resolution
• Commercial litigation and disputes
• Agriculture
• Agri-business
• Unfair prejudice

Notable cases

• Laura played a key role in a heavy-weight multi-party litigation matter involving 17 Claimants and 4 Defendants. Her determination saw a successful settlement in this matter some 5 years after its issue. This was a major contributing factor in Clarke Willmott being awarded NFU panel firm of the year and was heavily reported in the farming press.
• Acting for a group of milk producers and successfully defeating an application for an interim injunction brought against them by the processor who wanted to stop them from ceasing supply following termination of notice – Watson’s Dairies Ltd v AG Lambert [2020] 10 WLUK 45
• Successfully acting for a breed society in relation to a number of members’ purported and complex claims in relation to genetic testing and scientific developments.
• Successfully reaching an agreement to partition a farming partnership of a diversified farm which included a wedding venue, caravan site and traditional farming, as well as family homes. In addition, the team at Clarke Willmott were able to deal with all of the drafting necessary to ensure the land and businesses were dealt with formally to avoid future conflict.