A quartet of practices form the top tier for agricultural and estates advice, according to The Legal 500 – Birketts, Hewitsons, Mills & Reeve and Taylor Vinters.

 The guide reports “The ‘commercially practical’ six-partner team at Birketts LLP includes James Harbottle (noted for his ‘good bedside manner’); Chris Coupland (who is ‘technically excellent, and super-efficient’); and Jack Royall (‘very precise’). Mineral leases are a key specialism.

“Hewitsons has a buoyant practice acting for clients across England, and ‘the level of service is excellent’. The ‘helpful and professional’ Denise Wilkinson, Charles Hewitson and Daniel Curtis saw transactions totalling over £100m.

“Mills & Reeve is ‘good at coming up with different ways to tackle a problem’. Michael Aubrey (‘excellent on acquisitions, land law and strategy’), Sally Graham and Amanda Tagg (‘very good on difficult issues’) are supported by others including Chris Belcher, who excels on tax issues for landed estates.”

‘Pragmatic and expeditious’, Taylor Vinters’ seven-partner team includes well-known experts Adrian Horwood-Smart, Rupert Melville-Ross and the ‘strong, practical, commercial’ Adam Bradley. Jockey Club Estates and Darley Stud Management are clients.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Adam Bradley, Taylor Vinters