Practice area: Transactions

Penny Elliott

  • 21 September 2024
Penny Elliott

Penny is a Consultant in the Rural Land and Business team. She specialises in advising clients with multiple business interests on legal and strategic issues and her client base encompasses overseas investors, institutional property owners, landed estates and high net worth individuals.

Penny has an established reputation as an advisor to the owner/operators of five star and boutique hotels. Her ability to advise across property and business matters is at the heart of the service she provides to her clients in this sector.

She provides clients with a comprehensive service, often drawing together a range of legal disciplines to deliver a commercial solution. Penny is able to draw upon her experience as a private client lawyer to identify opportunities and solutions that will benefit her client’s private and commercial interests. She coordinates the requirements of her clients across the full range of legal specialisms and is noted by commentators for her understanding of how taxation and legal aspects relate to the business interests of her client. She has an exceptional understanding of the people behind the businesses.

Penny began her legal career advising farmers and landowners, she retains a great interest in the agricultural sector.

Christopher Findley

  • 21 September 2024
Christopher Findley

Christopher is a key advisor to landowners, farmers and rural land-owning institutions. He prides himself on providing clear advice in simple terms, offering solutions to both complex and everyday problems encountered by farmers, landowners and their families. He guides farming families through issues relating to succession to key assets and tax planning and, over 40 plus years, continues to guide the 3rd and 4th generation on their affairs.

Christopher has a particular specialism in advising on strategic land projects. He advises landowners on a wide range of option and promotion agreements to bring forward land for development and is experienced in advising groups of owners on equalising development gains and the property and tax intricacies of selling land for development.

He also boasts expertise in relation to farms and landed estates transactions, offering over 40 years’ experience in agricultural landlord and tenant problems and tenants as well as freehold owners on business restructuring for inheritance tax planning purposes.

Transactions

Rolling green hills are adorned with scattered trees and stone walls, creating a peaceful rural landscape. In the distance, soft hills rise under a clear, bright sky.

From small country houses and garden or parkland, farms, equestrian property and large landed estates comprising thousands of acres of land along with residential, commercial and agricultural buildings, we have the expertise to deal with all manner of freehold and leasehold properties.

The sale and purchase of property can be a stressful process, but our team have specialised in not only dealing with the legal issues but also supporting clients through the process. We manage all the issues before they become a problem, explaining everything in clear terms, and in most cases will inspect the property before our clients are committed. This leads to a streamlined, stress-free and satisfying experience for our clients.

It is not uncommon for there to be wide range of practical and commercial considerations that need to be factored into the process, particularly on the sale and acquisition of a working farm or estate. Consideration is given to the timing of the transaction and the need for farming and commercial holdover, valuation of tenant right and ingoing and outgoing valuations, as well as the transfer of environmental schemes, subsidies and environmental permits and the complexities that come with them.

How we can help:

Acquisitions

  • Reviewing sales particulars and heads of terms
  • Commissioning pre-contract searches
  • Full title investigation and review of registered and unregistered land
  • Raising supplemental enquiries
  • Investigating the planning and building control position of a property
  • Drafting a report on title for the benefit of our clients
  • Negotiating transaction documents
  • Advising on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) and the availability of reliefs, notably mixed use, MDR claims and blended use claims
  • Drafting and submitting SDLT returns and settling any liability
  • Facilitating completion and registration procedures
  • Working with lenders on property financing

Sales

  • Review of title information, registered and unregistered
  • Providing solutions to any defects on title in anticipation of a sale
  • Providing title documentation or epitome of title
  • Preparation and assisting with compiling all necessary information for replies to pre-contract enquiries
  • Responding to enquiries raised by a buyer’s solicitor
  • Negotiating transaction documents
  • Facilitating completion

Andrew Lane

  • 29 August 2024
Andrew Lane

As a former farmer, Andrew brings a valuable understanding of the issues facing agricultural clients. Ranked in The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for Agriculture and Estates and Band 1 in Chambers UK for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, he is recognised for his strategic approach and extensive experience in the sector.

Working with individuals, families, landowners and trusts, Andrew has advised on some of the largest and most complex land transactions in the market, many involving significant tax considerations. His expertise is frequently applied to multidisciplinary projects, where he brings together specialists to help clients navigate complex legal and regulatory issues. He regularly works alongside colleagues in the Family, Corporate Tax, Private Client and Landed Estates teams.

Andrew also acts as a trustee for a number of large family trusts and landowning families and serves as a director of numerous family-owned businesses.

Polly Montoneri

  • 29 August 2024
Polly Montoneri

Polly advises landowners on development and renewable energy projects, with extensive experience negotiating agreements for schemes ranging from small-scale developments to large and complex projects. She has a strong understanding of the sale and purchase of rural property, including commercial farms, country estates, rural properties and heritage assets. Polly also specialises in natural capital matters, advising landowners on biodiversity net gain (BNG) agreements and contracts for natural capital projects.

Polly provides commercial and practical advice, working closely with clients to protect their interests and identify potential issues at an early stage. She focuses on negotiating clear and effective agreements that help minimise risk and provide certainty throughout a project or transaction.

She works closely with colleagues across the firm, including specialists in Private Client, Tax, Corporate, Planning and Banking and Finance, to provide joined-up advice tailored to her clients’ objectives.

Recognised as a ‘Top Recommended Lawyer’ in Spear’s 500 2023, Polly is also a member of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), helping her stay up to date with developments in rural policy and the evolving rural economy.

Henry Cecil

  • 29 August 2024
Henry Cecil

Praised by clients for his ‘vast array of experience in high‑value acquisitions and disposals in the agricultural sector’ (Chambers 2024), Henry is a Partner and Head of Rural Land and Business.

A ‘Hall of Fame’‑ranked partner (Legal 500 2025), he is at the forefront of high‑value estate, farm and country house purchases, and other related property issues. He is very closely involved with succession and estate planning, along with tax matters. Henry lives and breathes the countryside, with a deep understanding of the issues and opportunities that rural landowners face. He has an extensive network that he is constantly developing to support his clients.

Henry’s depth of knowledge, experience and skill is complemented by his enthusiasm for client care, communication and building long‑term relationships. Maintaining a positive mindset, he is pragmatic and efficient, an effective problem‑solver who always aims to expedite transactions.

Henry is a team player who enjoys working alongside colleagues, other advisers and clients.