Within the agriculture and food sector despite all best intentions and precautions, disputes still arise. The disputes can involve animals, land, businesses and entitlements to payment from customers and the state.

Our nationally renowned Agriculture Team has at its core, specialist litigators, who combine their skills in dispute resolution with in-depth knowledge of the agricultural sector, for example, of the statutory tribunals that exist with their own rules.

The team handles a full range of disputes within the agricultural sector. These include not only contractual disputes but also claims against DEFRA, the RPA and other public bodies, particularly within the context of IACS. Here, Judicial reviews and the creative use of human rights legislation is an important area. The skills and experience of our team have become increasingly in demand as we have moved into the new single farm payment regime. 

We can advise on:  

• Disputes concerning RPA/Defra
• Disputes involving the spread of animal disease
• Conducting multi-party group actions
• Complex partnership and company disputes
• Common law and statutory property claims, including breach of covenants, injunctions, removal of trespassers and boundary disputes
• Contract disputes
• Employment disputes
• Disputes arising from the sale and purchase of livestock
• Professional negligence
• Personal injury
• Insurance disputes
• Judicial Review
• Wills, probate and trusts disputes
• Competition
• Defamation

Some examples of our work: 

Representing farmers nationwide in the large scale and well publicised High Court litigation arising from the Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak in 2007

 Acting for substantial Producer Organisations (top and soft fruit growers) with regard to the withholding of grant aid payments by the RPA and the temporary suspension of the companies from the EU Fruit and Vegetable scheme. One of these cases has now been referred to the European Court of Justice.

Acting for a number of farmers in an action relating to defective bull semen.

Representing a number of farmers in large scale breach of contract claims against the makers of silage additives.

Representing a market leading Horticultural Grower in a High Court claim for substantial damages and the recovery of assets arising from a breach of various Agreements.