meet the team - agriculture and rural affairs
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Sarah Baugh - Head of Division Sarah Baugh heads up the ARA Division having been a Partner of the firm since 2006. Sarah has been a qualified solicitor since September 1997 having previously worked at a leading Midlands firm for eight years; two of which were spent in training before qualifying and progressing to the private client section of their landed estates division. Areas of expertise: An expert in agriculture and rural affairs matters, Sarah is a valuable asset to the firm. She contributes a detailed knowledge and understanding of all areas of property related rural and agricultural law transactions, assisting clients on topics such as the acquisitions and disposals of freehold and leasehold properties, subsidy issues and tenancy queries covering residential and agricultural properties. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: Sarah is also a member of the Law Society and the Agricultural Law Association. Interests: Sarah lives in Telford with her husband and their two daughters around whom Sarah's spare time revolves! |
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Iain Morrison Partner Iain Morrison joined the firm in 1995 and is part of the agricultural and rural affairs division. The division comprises of three partners, one associate, one consultant and four assistant solicitors. Areas of expertise: Iain specialises in all issues of agricultural law, including farm sales and acquisitions, landlord and tenant matters, single farm payment advice, planning, and advising estate owners. He handles both contentious and non-contentious areas including agricultural land tribunal work and arbitrations. His expertise has been developed by acting for a number of estates in Worcester, Herefordshire, Shropshire and for local authority landowners. Iain is also an experienced spokesman, frequently contributing to a number of topics at seminars laid on by the NFU and CLA as well as those by mfg. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: Iain is a member of the Law Society, Country Landowners Association and the Agricultural Law Association and is named in Chambers as a leading agricultural solicitor in the Midlands region. Interests: Iain lives in Worcester with his wife and young family. In his spare time he enjoys hill walking and is a keen supporter of Worcester Rugby Club. Email: iain.morrison@mfgsolicitors.com
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Jim Quinn
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Tom Devey Tom Devey joined Gwynnes in 2002 as a trainee solicitor, before the firm merged with Morton Fisher to become mfg Solicitors in 2005. He qualified in 2004, and is now an associate, working closely with Sarah Baugh and Celia Tildesley at the firm’s Telford office. Areas of expertise: Tom predominantly undertakes farm and landed estate work, including land sales and acquisitions, tenancies for farm workers or employees, Farm Business Tenancies, Agricultural Holdings Act Tenancies and advice relating to Single Farm Payment Entitlements and Agri-Environmental Schemes. He specialises in work involving both unregistered and registered titles and, as a result, frequently undertakes large scale applications for first registration with H M Land Registry. Tom graduated with a BA (Hons) in English from the University of West England, Bristol before going on to study at the College of Law in Chester. Interests: He was a keen rugby player before his playing career was brought to a premature end by a knee injury, but remains an ardent spectator. Tom also enjoys many other outdoor pursuits including shooting and fishing. He is currently the treasurer of the Shropshire branch of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the legal advisor to the Fordhall Community Land Initiative and a member of the Shropshire Law Society. Email: tom.devey@mfgsolicitors.com |
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Sarah Denney-Richards Sarah trained and qualified with Roythornes in 2002, agricultural specialists in the Eastern Counties. She joined mfg in November 2005 after spending 2 years with Burges Salmon concentrating on non contentious agricultural and rural affairs. Areas of expertise: Sarah, a partner at mfg Solicitors, focuses on non contentious property work, particularly farm and estate sales and purchases, development land sales and agricultural tenancies and mortgages. She is also involved in commercial land transactions including business leases and overage transactions. Her remit extends further to include succession planning, partnership arrangements and subsidy reform advice. |
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Kirsten Bridgewater A civil litigation associate, based at our Worcester Office, Kirsten Bridgewater joined mfg solicitors in 2007. Areas of expertise: Kirsten represents parties in a wide spectrum of legal disputes with particular expertise in property litigation together with a niche practice in rural disputes. Happily advising agricultural, commercial and private clients alike, Kirsten has extensive experience in dispute resolution whether by ADR, Court or Tribunal actions. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: Kirsten is a member of the Property Litigation Association; and the Agricultural Law Association. She has also spoken at a number of seminars and training events on property litigation matters and takes the lead in many of the division’s marketing activities. |
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Gary Priest A hugely experienced tax specialist, Gary Priest works in mfg’s expanding private client division as an associate. Areas of expertise: Having worked in the sector for over eight years, Gary is able to provide mfg clients with expert legal advice on the broad range of matters relating to estate and tax planning but has particular expertise in inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning. Gary specialises in working with farmers, landed estates and owner managed businesses. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: A qualified solicitor, Gary is also a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). |
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Neil Harrison Neil Harrison joined mfg in 2006, working in the contentious and non-contentious areas of the agricultural and rural affairs team, and qualified as an assistant solicitor in 2008. Areas of expertise: As a member of the agricultural and rural affairs team in Worcester, he deals predominantly with farm and landed estate work, including land sales and acquisitions, farm business tenancies and tenancies under the Agricultural Holdings Act as well as undertaking large-scale applications for first registration with HM Land Registry. Interests: In his spare time, Neil puts his international race licence to good use by driving mfg’s Formula 3 car in the UK Monoposto championship for Formula 3 cars over four years old. He is also a rugby fan and enjoys watching the Worcester Warriors at the Sixways Stadium. |
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Michael Gwynne Michael Gwynne is a consultant solicitor in the Private Client and Rural Divisions at mfg Solicitors. Areas of expertise: He specialises in agricultural law, estates and Wills. Michael has an extensive knowledge of legal issues which affect the rural community, and acts for both farmers and landowners and on inheritance tax planning generally. Michael has developed this expertise over his 40 plus years in the legal profession. He was appointed HM Coroner in 1974 and retired from that position in October 2009. |
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Mercedes King-Jones
- Head of Division Based at Worcester, Mercedes King-Jones is a partner and head of mfg’s family division. With more than 17 years’ experience, She specialises in matrimonial financial cases. Areas of expertise: Mercedes has a reputation for offering both married and unmarried clients high quality tailored advice in complex financial cases, especially those involving family businesses, and pension assets. She has considerable experience in dealing with property disputes between cohabitees. She also works closely with the rural team, providing specialist advice to the farming community and has spoken at a number of seminars and training events on divorce in a farming context. Her approach offers technical expertise balanced with compassion, a sense of humour and a realistic approach to litigation. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: Mercedes has been a member of the Family Law Panel for many years. She is also a member of Resolution, and is a trained mediator. |
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Katherine Tippetts Katherine Tippetts further expands mfg’s family division, joining Robert Pearce at the Telford office of the firm in June 2010. Areas of expertise: Katherine deals with all areas of family law, including divorce, ancillary relief, cohabitation, pre-nuptial agreements and Children Act proceedings. She also works closely with mfg’s rural team, having a particular interest in farming cases and divorces involving agricultural and rural issues. Recent cases she has worked on include dealing with complex pension sharing issues and those involving high net worth clients. Katherine worked at a solicitor in Chester since qualifying in 2005 before relocating to her home county of Shropshire last year. Membership of professional bodies and organisations: Katherine is a collaborative lawyer and a member of Resolution, an association of family lawyers who promote a conciliatory approach to family law and subscribe to a code of practice. Interests: In her spare time, Katherine enjoys relaxing and socialising with friends, walking and cycling. |
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Graeme Berry Details Being Updated. |
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Hannah Farmer Hannah Farmer joined mfg Solicitors LLP in November 2011 having completed her training contract at Dickinson Dees LLP in their Yorkshire office. Areas of expertise: As a member of the agricultural and rural affairs team in Telford, Hannah works closely alongside Sarah Baugh and Tom Devey. Hannah predominantly undertakes farm and landed estate work with a focus on equine matters. These include the sale, purchase and lease of equestrian centres, farms, land and other rural property, livery agreements, loan agreements, grazing licences and rights of way. Interests: In her spare time Hannah enjoys horse riding and has two horses of her own and is a keen flat-racing spectator. Out of the flat season, Hannah enjoys donning her walking boots and heading out into the Shropshire countryside for a day of beagling. |
