Agriculture
Many law firms claim to offer an agricultural service to their clients, but few genuinely understand the pressures and realities of farming life in the UK. Many of the solicitors in the firm are from farming families and know only too well the thin line that agricultural clients increasingly tread between farming success and failure.
We are passionate about our farming clients and their businesses and offer a wide range of services, based around agriculture, estate planning and farm diversification.
Our farming services include:
Estate Administration
To speak to a member of our team simply complete an enquiry form or call 01633 603178.
Meet the Team
Sioned Thomas
Director
Email: Click Here
Testimonials:
Sioned is listed as a Leading Individual in the Legal 500 and ranked in the Chambers & Partners for her Agriculture work.
"Very proactive" Legal 500 2022
"Sioned Thomas has always been very easy to approach and has shown us a great deal of patience" Legal 500 2021 client testimonial
"thorough and approachable" Legal 500 2021
"very detailed, meticulous and knowledgeable." Chambers & Partners
"professional, very approachable and efficient." Chambers & Partners
“provides a highly personal service and always strives to understand the detailed background to all the issues” Legal 500
“provides a first-class service when dealing with rural matters” Legal 500"
Sioned Thomas
Director
Sioned is head of RDP’s Private Client and Agricultural teams.
Private Client:
Sioned deals with succession planning for high-net-worth clients, including advising on wills and setting up and administering trusts.
She deals with complex estate administration, with a particular focus on the agricultural sector.
She also deals with lasting powers of attorney and deputyship applications.
Charities:
Sioned is well-versed in setting up new charities, and advising existing charities on matters such as sale and purchase of land and legacy management.
Agriculture:
Sioned deals with acquisition, sales and refinancing of farms and farmland, farm business tenancies and partnership agreements and, because of her private client experience, is able to take a holistic approach to farm succession planning and the impact of changes to the future of the farming business.
Sioned is STEP-qualified and a fluent Welsh speaker.
- Dealing with an application for succession tenancy under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986
- Purchase of 200-acre land holding in South wales with complex access and easement provisions
- Acting in the administration of an estate of clients with various land holdings and business assets with successful agricultural relief claim
- Sale of various barns forming part of a large farm holding for development
- Sale of 100-acre farm with listed farmhouse and buildings
- Succession planning for farming family who had diversified to include partnership agreements, farm business tenancies, shareholders agreements, wills, lasting powers of attorney and sale of property
James Davies
Director
Email: Click Here
Testimonials:
"James Davies' ability of structuring deals whilst fully considering all legal and practical matters relating a scheme is exceptional. With a working knowledge of agriculture, development and real estate applications, what you get is a first-class one-stop-shop" Legal 500 2022
"Exceptional" Legal 500 2022
“James Davies has been excellent, especially in relation to development land related matters. He is always responsive and communicative, with superb attention to detail and practical legal advice to reassure clients and fellow professionals.” Legal 500 2021
“Excels in handling commercial real estate work for developers” Legal 500 2020
James was shortlisted, in 2018, for a Law Society Award for Excellence in Practice Management. He also spoke at the 2019 Lexcel Conference on the subject of legal practice management.
James Davies
Director
James is head of RDP’s Real Estate team.
He practices in all areas of commercial real estate but with a particular focus on three core areas:
Development:
James acts for both landowners and developers on the acquisition, sale and strategic assembly of development land. He also advises developers on planning / infrastructure agreements and site assembly.
James’s experience covers both commercial and residential land and ranges from smaller schemes to those spread over large acreages, often with multiple landowners.
He also advises on more complex development joint venture agreements, forward funding agreements and forward purchase agreements.
Real estate financing:
James acts for both lenders and borrowers on real estate finance transactions, with particular expertise on portfolio refinancing.
Portfolio strategy and management:
James advises clients with large land holdings on the administration of their portfolios. This includes day-to-day management (which often revolves around landlord and tenant law) but also on more strategic mid-to-long-term advice.
Recent Real Estate Work:
- Assembly of 120-unit residential site in South East Wales on behalf of a leading Welsh developer
- Acquisition and assembly of numerous residential development schemes across Wales during the past 12 months
- Sale of 10 acre greenfield development site in the West of England to a national house builder
- Acquisition of a large brownfield site for a close care / retail scheme in the West of England
- Assembly and sale of 10 acre mixed retail / leisure scheme in the Midlands for a leading regional property developer
- Acquisition of 85,000 sq ft industrial complex in South East Wales for leading Welsh transport group
- Sale of large retail centre in the South West of England on behalf of joint owner
Recent Commercial Corporate Work:
- Real estate element on the acquisition of Bird Enterprises Limited by The Bannatyne Group
- Acting on the acquisition of a pharmacy chain located within South Wales on behalf of the buyer and lender
- Acting on the disposal of a multi-site care home business based in West Wales
- Advising Santander UK Plc in respect of a pharmacy deal based in South Wales
- Acting on the acquisition and disposal of two estate agency businesses based in South Wales
- Acting on the acquisition and disposal of hotels based in Monmouthshire and the Vale of Glamorgan
Recent Rural Work:
- Re-finance of large estate in the West of England over multiple titles/land holdings
- Acting on the sale of a country estate in South Wales incorporating diversified business elements. One of the highest value land sales in Wales during 2017
- Acquisition of Grade II* manor house in West of England with parkland and outbuildings
- Advising on both wind and biomass projects to land owners within South Wales and the South West of England
New phosphate guidance in Wales - a red flag for developers
Use it or lose it - 'Right to Regenerate' consultation issued by Housing Secretary
Freezer clauses in options - landowner's guide
Planning Agreements Explained...
Minimum Energy Efficient Standard - A Guide for Landlords
Robert Davies MBE
Chairman
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Robert Davies MBE
Chairman
Robert is the chairman of RDP Law. He has practised in South East Wales since 1974, and has connections across the commercial sector and throughout the agricultural community.
He practises company and commercial law and also works closely with Sioned Thomas in RDP’s agricultural department.
Robert has particular expertise in commercial and residential property development and is regularly instructed in relation to some of South Wales’ larger and more interesting development proposals.
In 2007 Robert was appointed MBE for his contribution to legal services in South East Wales.
Marjha Golding-Evans
Partner
Email: Click Here
Testimonials:
"Marjha is diligent, sensitive and committed to very high work standards. She is always honest, open and candid. She handles difficult conversations sensitively without soft-peddling the tough issues that have to be addressed."
"Marjha has been incredibly helpful, really thorough and so professional with what has been an extremely difficult situation. Her advice has been easy to follow and very useful. I am incredibly grateful to her for all her hard work."
"Brilliant service from Marjha."
Marjha Golding-Evans
Partner and Head of Family
Marjha heads up RDP's Family department.
She joined RDP in March 2021 from a national Legal 100 firm and brought with her almost 15 years of specialist family law experience.
Marjha’s specialism is in high-net-worth financial matters which often involve business interests, international property, trusts and inherited wealth. Her personal interest in farming and agricultural matters brings a niche specialisation and grounded realism to her work. In addition to her thriving matrimonial finance practice, Marjha undertakes complex children matters such as Special Guardianship applications and contested Child Arrangements Orders including a change of residence. She also brings her forensic approach but empathetic demeanour to challenging financial claims for maintenance, financial support for disabled children and school fees orders.
Marjha also works closely with RDP’s Private Client team, offering advice on wealth protection, including pre- and post-nups, cohabitation agreements and disputes between unmarried partners.