Due to continued growth, this well-regarded law firm in Taunton is looking to recruit an Agricultural Property lawyer of 2 or more years’ PQE to handle a mix of country property, agricultural and commercial transactions.
This directories-listed team is on the NFU panel of legal advisors for Somerset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset and the day-to-day responsibilities of the successful candidate will include:
• managing your own caseload covering a broad range of rural and agricultural property matters, including high value rural residential properties, listed buildings and unregistered land;
• advising on complex farm and agricultural transactions, including bare land, working farms and large estates, often involving diversification projects, renewable energy and nutrient neutrality issues;
• providing advice across the full lifecycle of rural property transactions, including support payments, tenancies, rights of way, environmental issues, and secured lending;
• undertaking a range of landlord and tenant work including matters under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 and Landlord and Tenant Act 1954;
• working closely with colleagues in planning, estate planning and litigation as part of the firm’s sector-based approach;
• building strong client relationships with long standing clients, including landed estates, farming families, investors, banks and private individuals.
You will have plenty of client contact (including long-standing and also newly-acquired clients) and you will be encouraged to undertake a broad range of work and to build your connections with colleagues within other departments at the firm. Learning from highly respected senior practitioners, you will be able to develop and hone your technical and client management skills, engaging in challenging and complex work. As an expanding team, there are real opportunities for career development as you gain expertise and build your wider skill set.
This role is right for you if you:
• are a qualified solicitor or legal executive with a strong academic background and a high level of intellectual curiosity;
• enjoy managing your own work, demonstrating initiative, drive and excellent organisational skills;
• are a genuine team player and an effective communicator, who enjoys collaborating with colleagues and supporting others;
• have a strong interest in agriculture and the issues facing farming businesses;
• bring well‑developed client management skills and an interest in business development.
