Agricultural business

Corporate solicitors and specialists in agricultural business

Good business practice and the challenges facing the agriculture sector require farmers and food processors to regularly monitor their businesses, both to maximise opportunities and to protect and increase market share. Clarke Willmott’s highly experienced corporate and commercial agricultural solicitors are committed to helping our farming and food industry clients achieve their goals and strengthen their position in a challenging market.

In recent years, our agricultural business law specialists have seen a growing demand for innovative funding, business and contractual arrangements, as well as increasing consolidation and greater emphasis on collaboration across the food chain, from farmers to processors, distributors and retailers. We expect this demand to grow following Brexit.

Our agricultural business lawyers have extensive experience of providing advice and guidance on a wide-range of corporate and commercial issues to our farming and food industry clients.

Our approach is to find practical ways of facilitating a wide range of corporate transactions as well as collaboration through farming joint ventures and co-operatives, service companies, collaborative purchasing arrangements, farm restructuring, machinery and asset sharing. We enjoy working closely with our clients to find innovative and cost effective solutions that work in the real world.

Our expertise in agricultural business

Clarke Willmott’s approach to agricultural business is to find practical, collaborative ways of facilitating a wide range of corporate transactions. We enjoy working closely with our clients to find innovative and cost-effective solutions that work in the real world.

Our specialist agricultural business and farming solicitors have extensive experience advising and guiding a diverse range of clients on many corporate and commercial issues including:

• Corporate transactions and restructuring, including company sales and acquisitions, partnerships agreements and joint venture agreements 
• Collaboration through farming joint ventures and co-operatives, service companies, collaborative purchasing arrangements, farm restructuring, machinery and asset sharing
• Commercial contracts, including supply, distribution and outsourcing arrangements
• Banking and insolvency work, including granting security to lenders over their farming assets, advising on strategy if a farming business gets into financial difficulties, and advising on the impact and consequences of insolvency
• Intellectual property law, including brand protection programmes, trade mark and registered design filings and IP litigation
• Any corporate or commercial dispute affecting their farming business
• Specialist employment and HR advice to farming businesses in relation to contracts of employment, housing of agricultural workers, termination of employment, immigration and work permits and employment handbooks and policy
• Health and safety at both UK and EU level
• Regulatory work

Our agricultural law and business experience in action

• Restructuring a family farming business involving a share buy-back to realise cash for family members and consolidate ownership with key participants
• Acting on the sale of a family feed merchant to a large consolidator in the agri-business industry
• Advising a farmer on a feedstock supply agreement for an AD (Anaerobic Digester) plant
• Advising a large farming business in relation to a complex multiple claim from three farm employees
• Acting for a bank in respect of security for a loan facility to assist with the purchase of a farm

Our recent work includes:

• Restructuring a family farming business involving a share buy-back in order to realise cash for family members and consolidate ownership with key participants
• Acting on the sale of a family feed merchant to a large consolidator in the agri-business industry
• Advising a farmer on a feedstock supply agreement for an AD plant
• Advising a large farming business in relation to a complex multiple claim from three farm employees
• Acting for a bank in respect of security for a loan facility to assist with the purchase of a farm

Contact an agricultural business lawyer

Our team of agricultural business solicitors has a strong presence in the South West and advises clients across England and Wales. To discuss your requirements, please contact Victoria Howlett on 0800 652 8205 or get in touch online.

Clarke Willmott has offices in Taunton, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester and Southampton.