“The team offers professionalism at all times together with an approachable service and level of attention to detail. It has a great team ethic with many strings to its bow.”
“We were very impressed with Michelmores’ abilities to handle very challenging and quite unique legal structuring questions for our schemes. The team has delivered very high-quality work for us.”
“The team has full grasp of rural matters, third party rights but with sensitivity when dealing with both vendor and buyer. We could call upon a range of skills.”
“They are an excellent firm to work with, with a vast range of knowledge in real estate matters. They work as a team to ensure smooth transactions. Michelmores is a one stop shop for UHNIs.”
“Christian is lovely to deal with and is very experienced. He is such a big force in land and estates.”
“Tom Hyde is very thorough. He provides solid advice across a range of disciplines.”
“Christian Massey has extensive experience handling landed estate and rural property matters.”
We work with our Clients and their trusted advisors across substantial landed estate, agricultural, country house and high value residential property transactions, as well as assisting with legal issues arising from the day-to-day management of those properties. We work closely with a mix of well-known individuals, entrepreneurs, companies, trustees and charities in all aspects of their property work. We thrive in acting on particularly sensitive and challenging matters all over England and Wales, whether that work is based in the countryside, in Prime Central London or in towns or cities.
We are proud of our ranking as National Leaders outside of London in Chambers High Net Worth, the independent legal guide, as well as being top ranked in Chambers UK in the South West.
We thrive on building and developing long-term relationships with our Clients and their families across multiple generations and in helping them across all aspects of their lives.
Recent experience
Acting for the purchaser of a substantial high value country house in the Cotswolds with numerous planning and listed building issues and a protected bat colony. From receipt of initial instructions from a new client in mid-December, an exchange of contracts and completion were secured in ten days to enable our clients to put up their Christmas tree and move into the house the day before Christmas Eve.
Assisting with the purchase of an agricultural property where detailed private water supply arrangements, the negotiation of a post-completion surrender of an AHA tenancy prior to exchange of contracts, the negotiation and drafting of bespoke agreements and grants of cross rights with neighbouring landowners and other purchasers, and a sub-sale of part of the property by our client to a sub-purchaser were all required. Navigating detailed negotiations with numerous parties, their Solicitors and land agents, I secured a positive outcome for our client.
Advising on the sale of a rural estate in the south east where additional work was involved to rectify Land Registry title issues, address listed building concerns, deal with employees and service occupancies and ensure the securing and auction of a significant art portfolio within the house for an offshore trust company. A team of specialist lawyers across the private wealth kaleidoscope was assembled to ensure that the Client was closely advised throughout the complex transaction.
Acting for the Seller of a substantial Landed Estate in Wiltshire with a substantial main house, agricultural, commercial and residential tenancies (including re-drafting 7 new agreements), a myriad of public rights of way, a private water supply and access issues. Navigating detailed negotiations with numerous parties, their solicitors and land agents I secured the sale and a positive outcome for our client.
Acting for the buyer of a complex and substantial farm with two FBT tenants, three commercial lets and a road widening scheme in progress. The farm consisted of 16 separate title and the buyer wanted to split the farm into two separate ownerships which involved complex drafting and negotiation of an overage agreement with bank borrowing. The sale completed and the client was delighted.
Acting for the buyer of a dairy farm as a going concern where the client with his siblings inherited the farm form their parents with bank borrowing. The purchase involved complex and detailed negotiations with solicitors acting for all the various parties as well as the seller’s solicitor and land agents in respect of the purchase of the livestock, deadstock and tenant right valuations and the complex division of the sale proceeds.
