Farming Partnerships

The Michelmores team has up-to-date, in-depth knowledge and provides timely responses and detailed advice at all times.
Chambers UK 2026

The team at Michelmores has up-to-date, in-depth knowledge. They deliver timely responses and are detailed in their advice at all times. The team are always able to respond with a considered response.
Chambers UK 2026

One of the best agriculture teams in the country. Depth of experience. National reputation. Huge amount of clients from agricultural community.
Legal 500 2026

One of the leading firms in this practice area, with a number of very experienced solicitors who know a great deal about agricultural disputes.
Legal 500 2026

They have a great knowledge and are excellent with partnership disputes. They are a very good, detail-focused team of good communicators.
Chambers UK 2025

They provide good-quality advice and guidance on the most appropriate options. The team are very accessible to speak with and are well aware of the current commercial issues related to clients.
Chambers UK 2025

Our team of agricultural experts has unrivalled expertise advising farmers on the full range of issues arising in the context of farming partnerships including:

the death or retirement of a partner;
the admission of new partners;
tax and succession planning;
relationship breakdown and dissolution.

The multi-generational and asset rich nature of many farming partnerships mean that succession and tax planning is hugely important. Our cross sector team will ensure that the appropriate structure and documentation is in place and that Wills and succession planning complement the partnership arrangements.

Sometimes relationships breakdown and it is not always possible to resolve matters amicably. We have extensive experience in dealing with partnership disputes and conducting court proceedings, having been involved in cases at the cutting edge of partnership law: family partnerships: two High Court decisions.

Recent experience:

Acting in the Ham Partnership dispute which resulted in the reported cases of Ham v Ham (2013) Court of Appeal and Ham v Ham (No. 2) (2016) High Court. The cases concerned firstly the basis of valuation of a partnership share on the retirement of a partner (whether historic or current open market value) and secondly a dispute as to whether the farm itself was an asset of the partnership.
Advising the owners of a large agricultural estate with diversified enterprises on the mitigation of inheritance tax through the creation of a farming partnership which provides for a tax efficient succession strategy.
Acting for a partner wishing to realise his partnership share where the written agreement provided that the partnership would endure for the joint lives of the partners. We advised upon the identification of the partnership assets and the power of the court to wind up the partnership on just and equitable grounds.
Advising in relation to the partition of a substantial family farming business which included both a partnership and corporate entity and significant co-owned land and other assets.
Acting in Moore v Moore (2016) a contentious family dispute involving a disputed partnership dissolution and a proprietary estoppel claim.