Mobile Telephone Mast Lease Agreements - Farmers could Lose Thousands

Neil Stevenson, one of my "highly regarded" colleagues is advising farmers, who have rented out sites for mobile telephone masts, to check their legal agreements.

They may run the risk of losing much-needed income due to the current consolidation of the mobile telecoms industry.

check it out Mobile Phone Company's Mergers May Impact Upon Farmers Incomes

Top Ranked In Chambers

I, Anne Elliott have been Top Ranked in the Chambers UK directory (ranked third in Agriculture and Rural Affairs for the North East area)- it's quite a pat on the back.

For twenty years, Chambers has been a leading directory of the legal profession. Their reputation is based on the independence and objectivity research - Chambers is a reliable and respected source.

...and here is the ranking

A specialist in agricultural work and with a deep knowledge of rural matters, this firm is noted for its involvement with the Yorkshire Rural Support Network, in which capacity Anne Elliott has been raising the profile of succession planning within the farming community. Described as “forthright and knowledgeable” and one of the “key experts in the North East,” Elliott has also been appointed to the panel of the Tenant Farmers Association. She does a considerable amount of tax planning, trusts, agricultural holdings, and landlord and tenant work.

More info on Latimer Hinks services can be found here Latimer Hinks Agricultural Law

Legal 500 - the bible of the legal business recommends Latimer Hinks

The Legal 500 is the most widely used legal directory in the UK and is considered to be "the bible of the legal business". The Legal 500 ranks law firms in terms of their expertise and performance.Latimer Hinks has once again achieved recommendation - and this time more of our Partners are recognised!

Good work!

Agriculture & Estates
Clients praise Latimer Hinks’ ‘vast knowledge of agricultural law and understanding of matters influencing the market‘. Anne Elliott (me) is a ‘noted expert in the field of landlord and tenant‘, and Tim Haggie is recommended for estate management, strategy and planning. Instructions include advising farmers in negotiation with Broadview Energy over a wind farm development (which also involved Neil Stevenson) in North Yorkshire.

Personal Tax, Trusts & Probate
Anne Elliott (me again!)at Latimer Hinks is noted for her expertise in inheritance tax and capital gains tax planning.

Real Estate
Mark Clayton leads a ‘very proficient‘ team at Latimer Hinks that had a busy year advising on numerous retail properties.

Corporate & Commercial
Nick Poole heads the Latimer Hinks team, which acted on a multimillion-pound refinancing of a group of hotels. Clients acknowledge the practice as ‘one of the best in the local market‘.

Commercial Litigation
Latimer Hinks is noted for its insolvency, debt recovery and bankruptcy practice. Mark Gardner is recommended.
Legal 500 Recommendations 2007
Legal 500 Recommendations 2008

Succession Planning for Farmers - a talk!

Back in 2007 and 2008 I (Anne Elliott, Partner at Latimer Hinks Solicitors) was invited to speak at a Farming Conference targeted at succession planning for farmers and their families (and other interested parties).

Well, it must have "hit the spot" as Robert Dunning (an accountant on the platform with me) and I have been invited back to speak again on the same topic.

"Where and when?" you ask....

Thursday, 8th October 2009 at 6.30pm
The Sportman's Arms, Wath, Nr Pateley Bridge - Succession Planning

The aim is to tell a few tales to "encourage" (for which read "terrify") farmers into planning for family succession, retirement and their exit from the farming business (whether they decide to "go quietly" or die "with their boots on"!).

It will be an informal event with every opportunity given to ask questions and to seek information on all sorts of issues including Will making, family trusts, exit strategies and options.

Did you know 50% of farmers in the Yorkshire Dales haven't made a will!!

If you have a special interest in this topic (you may already advise on these issues) and live in or around the Pateley Bridge area, let me know - you may be able to come along, though numbers are limited!

Succession Planning for Farmers - Taking Control

We're writing an article for the Country Land Association on Succession Planning and I thought I'd share the final version with you.

Succession Planning - Taking Control

It's very easy for me (as a legal professional) to suggest that Succession Planning is required

BUT people are reluctant to talk about anything which involves finances, retirement, death etc. Hopefully this article will make things a little easier along with the accompanying fact sheet Succeeding at Succession.

However, it goes without saying always take expert legal advice!

Planning For Succession/Exhaustion!

Wearing two hats can be pretty exhausting !

For 10 years now I have been Marketing Partner and , in addition ,I have headed up the Private Client Dept-with not only responsibility for a dozen plus people but with a hefty workload in terms of servicing the Clients-oh and then there are the techi jobs-rewriting precedents/thinking out policy/strategy /interpreting law-old and new- etc etc

The problem is that I love both roles and wouldn't like to relinquish either!!.

This week has been a "corker" with three pretty time consuming ,work- related marketing initiatives-a Seminar on Succession Planning for Farmers which we had last night-went down like a dream/strawberries and cream!!

No 2? we are planning a Trusts Tax and Investment Seminar for the end of the month-
.....and No 3..we've hit the ground running re the May Charity Ball -invites will be out next week.
Yes ,last night went well-we had a great and informed audience and the technology behaved!!My co- speakers were very polished.

I think in such situations it is felt that I, as a farmers daughter, at least understand the farmers' usual philosophy that they are only caretakers of the land for the next genearation !!

A kindly gent even said that my passion for farming and agriculture "shone through"in my presentation

I am pretty exhausted-it feels like this week has gone on for ever -but equally exhilerated and excited-one of my IFA friends to whom I mentioned being excited about the Tax and Trusts seminar said I needed "to get out more "and everyone keeps muttering "work life balance" etc but work is part -and a big part- of life and anyone happily working for himself/herself treats work as part of life-

I'm letting my hair down this weekend-that is if I can keep awake-but it's only Wednesday and I can't yet quite see the light of the weekend!

Succession Planning - a MUST for farmers!

Anne was recently invited to speak at a farming conference on Planning for Succession.

The conference was one of the initiatives being taken following the publication of The Yorkshire Rural Support Network's Report 2006 - Succession Planning within Farming Families.

Key points in the report:

• Succession planning should be addressed at an earlier stage, not when the older generation is at the end of their career


• An awareness should be created of the importance of future planning


• Fear of succession planning and the emotional implications prevent families from acknowledging the issue


• Tenanted farmers have limited options and may struggle to change/diversify


• Housing is a barrier to young people entering into the farming business


• Young people are going on to further education and a career before returning home to work, often because there isn't an income available from the farm.

The event was a great success - there was even a write up in the Farmers Guardian.

Due to the success of the event, more conferences are planned in the New Year, hopefully the first of which will be in February. I'll keep you posted as to dates, times etc.