Sarah Richardson Joins As Senior Associate

National law firm Irwin Mitchell has appointed Sarah Richardson as a Senior Associate in its Rural Business and Estates Team. Sarah joins from Michelmores’ Private Property and Landed Estates team where she was a Senior Associate. Sarah has worked in the legal sector for approximately ten years at both regional and international firms.

Sarah advises landowners, farmers, landed estates, individuals, companies, trusts and farm businesses in relation to non-contentious agricultural and rural land and property matters.

She has considerable experience advising on a broad spectrum of transactional and management work, covering the sale and purchase of land, farms and estates and country houses; agricultural occupancies; first registrations; auction sale and purchases; transfers of ownership and/or equity; residential and commercial sale, purchase and tenancies; documenting rights over land and property and dealing with both registered and unregistered land. Her work also involves advising on complex rights in relation to water, drainage and access.

Recent key experience includes:

• Acting on the purchase of a country house with land including multiple cottages (some of which were listed) and equestrian facilities worth over £5m which were subject to occupancy restrictions.

• Dealing with the sale of part of a large landed estate for approximately £20m where the land was subject to various agricultural, commercial and residential tenancies and comprised multiple title numbers. 

• Dealing with the disposal of land in numerous parcels to different purchasers by way of lot sales, which involved the surrender of part of an agricultural tenancy and the consideration of other undocumented occupation arrangements. 

Sarah is based in the firm’s Birmingham office but has a national remit.

Irwin Mitchell’s Rural Business and Estates Team is headed by partner James Pavey and acts for landed estates, trustees and institutional landowners, and private homeowners.  James is supported by a team of 16 who deal with a range of matters from tax planning to development land, and from planning and environmental to specialist litigation for rural landowners.

The department straddles both Irwin Mitchell’s Property and Private Client teams.

Expert Opinion

“I am delighted that Sarah is joining us to bolster our growing offering to the owners of estates and farms. By being based in the Birmingham office her appointment with provide us with a stronger national coverage. Sarah has significant experience of all aspects of rural property – agricultural, residential and commercial and is well-placed, as part of our growing team, to help our landowner and rural business clients meet the challenges of the next decade.” James Pavey, Head of Rural Business and Estates at Irwin Mitchell