Agriculture & Rural Affairs
UK Guide 2025 : Thames Valley
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+44 (0)1865 781 000Chambers Review
Freeths operates in 12 locations throughout the country. Its Oxford office is able to advise landed estates, investors, farming families, and institutions on agricultural property, tax, trusts and wills, and dispute resolution matters. The department is experienced in the buying and selling of farmland and listed buildings and estates. It also handles promotion and option agreements, and has significant experience advising on renewable development matters.
Work Highlights
- Freeths advised a client on the development of a large-scale solar farm in Oxfordshire, projected to be the largest in Europe, which involved multiple complicated option agreements.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Freeths has excellent technical expertise and the depth of knowledge required to handle complex matters. I value having relationships at different levels within the team."
"Freeths has a great combination of highly experienced senior staff, ably assisted by juniors."
"The team is always contactable by phone, which has made a big difference to our understanding of complex issues (rather than just relying on emails)."
"Freeths has excellent technical expertise and the depth of knowledge required to handle complex matters. I value having relationships at different levels within the team."
"Freeths has a great combination of highly experienced senior staff, ably assisted by juniors."
"The team is always contactable by phone, which has made a big difference to our understanding of complex issues (rather than just relying on emails)."
Notable Practitioners
Iain Davis is best known for advising clients on land development matters. He has experience of working on high-value sales and purchases of farms and other rural land.
"Iain has a huge amount of humility, and is very approachable and commercial. He knows what to do and it works. Iain would be my go-to for strategic land deals."
"Iain has all-round experience and expertise in his field and provides us with a first-class service in terms of advice, speed, attentiveness and understanding of our needs. He knows his client."
Balvinder Jaj acts for farmers, landowners and landed estates on a range of agricultural and rural property matters.
"Balvinder is extremely professional, knowledgeable and experienced in his field."
Katherine Burge is a managing associate at Freeths, specialising in agricultural and rural development work.
"Katherine is a pleasure to work with. She is highly diligent and thorough in her work."
"Katherine Burge is very knowledgeable and is excellent with clients."
"Katherine Burge is an exceptionally good lawyer on promotional agreements, land sales, and development land deals."
Laura Czapski acts for farmers, landowners and landed estates on a wide range of agricultural property transactions. Czapski is a director in Freeths' real estate team.
"Laura is very knowledgeable about all things agricultural, and is a very dedicated landed estates professional."
"Laura Czapski is a star. She has brought order to all our dealings and is very diplomatic, including in the way she manages senior people. She makes sure there is a lot of order in the process."
Masood Ahmed is a managing associate at Freeths, based in Oxford. His practice focuses on agricultural property transactions, paying particular attention to development work.
"Masood is great. He is very knowledgeable and personable, and clients like him."
Ranked Lawyers at
Freeths LLP
Thames Valley