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Agriculture, Environment and Estates

In a period of unprecedented change for the rural sector, our pragmatic, commercial and strategic support gives you everything you need to protect, preserve and maximise the value of rural assets and estates.  As experienced agricultural lawyers and agriculture solicitors, our team of dedicated rural solicitors and farming solicitors brings deep sector knowledge to every matter, from day to day agricultural contracts through to complex estate planning and succession.

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Rory Hutchings

I act as a trusted advisor to agricultural professionals and businesses, providing pragmatic, jargon-free advice and making myself available as suits the farming day. My specialisms include agricultural contract issues, public and private rights of way, land disputes, common land, partnership disputes and joint venture agreements. My clients include livestock, arable and dairy farms, agricultural cooperatives, certification organisations, agricultural shows and tourist enterprises.

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Meet the team

Food for Thought

Food for Thought: shaping sustainable farming futures

We understand the challenges farmers face when it comes to food production. Our latest agriculture report explores the structural, policy and economic barriers affecting Britain’s food security. With commentary from HCR Law and sector experts, it examines what is undermining UK food production – and what must change to secure a resilient farming future.

Get the full report

Agriculture, environment and estates expertise

We have one of the largest agriculture, environment and estate sector teams in the country and our experience means we can handle everything from day-to-day matters to large strategic projects.

We offer specialised advice on agricultural tenancies; agricultural contracts; natural capital and agricultural support schemes; green energy; environmental and regulatory matters; public and private access and rights of ways; partnerships, joint ventures and other agricultural business structures; development agreements and overages; common land; mineral rights and manorial rights; sporting and fishing rights and shotgun licensing and judicial review of decisions of statutory authorities.

We can also provide specialist private client advice including will drafting, setting up trusts, tax liability advice, administration of estates, and succession and estate planning.

A team you can trust

Because we understand the rural sector, we understand the importance of getting to know you and your business to ensure our advice reflects the realities of your particular situation.

As a result, we’re trusted by a wide variety of rural stakeholders, including owner-occupier farmers, farming partnerships, farming companies, landed estates, institutional investors, conservation charities, agricultural co-operatives, agricultural show and societies, tourist enterprises and people who hold rural land.

As well as our specific agricultural and estates expertise, we can also call on the expertise of our colleagues in other specialisms across the business when required. It means we’re able to be a ‘one stop legal shop’ that provides a complete legal solution.

Let's talk agricultural law

Talk Farm: The agricultural law podcast

Talk Farm is brought to you by HCR Law’s Agriculture and Estates team. Each month, we amplify voices from across the industry and discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping rural life in Britain and beyond our shores. Tune in for insights into everything from government policy to mental health in farming.

Listen to Talk Farm

Services from our Agriculture, Environment and Estates team

Hear what our clients say about us

Stephanie is always very quick to respond to any queries and always keeps clients informed during complex matters. She is extremely diligent and always seeks to provide a solution to issues.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Rory is a farmer himself and really knows about farming which helps a lot in dealing with agriculture clients. He is also thorough in the advice he gives and is particularly practical and pragmatic.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Greg Hill is conscientious and efficient, supportive, and understanding of circumstances.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Gareth Williams has been exceptional on options and large property transactions. I doubt there is a lawyer with more understanding in this field.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Emily Pumfrey is hard working, knowledgeable and doesn’t dodge a fight on behalf of her client.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Denise is wonderful to deal with and the breadth of her experience in landownership issues is very impressive. She is also excellent on land development and newer areas.

Client testimonial Chambers 2026

Rory Hutchings is a very good networker and is able to understand our needs and signpost us to the right piece of advice.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

We deal with Stephanie Dennis in the Agriculture team and the support we receive is always first class. She has extensive knowledge of a wide range of areas and her advice is always tailored to the circumstance which is extremely important for us. She is an excellent communicator and always gives prompt and relevant advice.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

Gareth Williams is unrivalled in the field of option agreements, promotion agreements, and solar agreements. Stephanie Dennis is equally skilled in all aspects of rural work. Both are prepared to go the extra mile. They give clear sound advice and are not afraid of pointing out the exposure to risk in any deal.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

Denise Wilkinson‘s understanding of our needs has been amazing. Her retention of the detail of our portfolio of land holdings has saved us hours of delving through paperwork. She has been incredibly adept at developing solutions to problems, while ensuring we understand associated risks at all stages. When problems have arisen in other areas of our work, she has been quick to find us appropriate support. We are particularly grateful to Denise for her rapid grasp of complicated proposals, and the thoroughness of her advice.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

HCR’s agriculture and estates team have been advising us on a range of issues for many years. We have been very impressed with both the breadth and depth of their knowledge. It has been really important to us that HCR have understood our work and how it is evolving. They have been incredibly thorough in their advice, having dealt with complicated purchases for us recently, but they have also been highly adaptable, offering solutions to new processes, such as agreements for the provision of Biodiversity Net Gain.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

I have worked with both Denise Wilkinson and Emily Pumfrey jointly representing a client. Both Denise and Emily provided an excellent quality of service that was distinctive in respect of their level of expertise, due diligence, eye for detail and the way in which they were able to explain complex points of detail in simple terms for everyone’s benefit, including out client.

Client testimonial Legal 500 2026

Recognition of our work

Legal 500 2026 – Top Tier Firm

Legal 500 2026 – Top Tier Firm

Legal updates and thought leadership

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How can we help you?

Frequently Asked Questions

An agricultural lawyer advises farmers, landowners, and rural businesses on the legal issues specific to the sector, including agricultural tenancies, contracts, land disputes, and succession planning. Unlike general commercial solicitors, an agricultural lawyer understands the practical realities of farming life and the unique pressures the sector faces, from seasonal cash flow to changing government support schemes, ensuring advice is genuinely workable rather than purely theoretical.

Agriculture solicitors bring sector specific knowledge that general commercial firms often lack, particularly around agricultural tenancies, rights of way, common land, and farm succession. This matters because rural legal issues are rarely straightforward and often involve long standing arrangements, family dynamics, and land use rules that don’t apply elsewhere. Specialist advice helps avoid costly mistakes that a generalist might not anticipate.

Rural solicitors regularly deal with disputes over boundaries, rights of way, partnership disagreements, tenancy terms, and access to common land. These disputes can be particularly sensitive given they often involve neighbouring landowners or family members working the same land for generations. Early advice helps resolve matters before they escalate into lengthy and costly litigation.

Yes. Farming solicitors play a key role in succession planning, helping ensure a farm can pass to the next generation in a way that protects the business, minimises tax liability, and avoids family disputes. This typically involves coordinating wills, trusts, and business structures together, since farms often combine personal and business assets in ways that require careful, joined up planning.

Yes. As government support schemes and environmental obligations evolve, agricultural lawyers increasingly advise on matters such as natural capital, green energy agreements, and environmental regulatory compliance alongside traditional agricultural work. This broader expertise means rural clients can get joined up advice on both the legal and financial implications of diversifying or adapting their land use.