“Wilsons is very pragmatic and has sensible operators who will help you see a way through any complex situations.”
Chambers, 2025
“The firm responds very quickly, cares and wants to understand what we need. It has a good range of people with wide skills who are very easy to communicate with.”
Chambers, 2025
“Wide-range of clients in this area and good experience of planning for the future, including high-level issues such as variation of trusts and trust dispute resolution.”
Legal 500, 2025
“Peter Bourke and Salim Patel are a dynamic, client-focused team delivering above and beyond for their client.”
Legal 500, 2025
“On agricultural tenancy matters, they are a very well-educated firm with a well-rounded approach to the practical application of the law. They have a good mix of team members, suitable for all occasions.”
Chambers, 2024
“Relevant additional individuals were rapidly, and with knowledge of the subjects concerned, brought in to advice and guide as necessary for both the lawyers, family and trustees.”
Chambers, 2024
“Having worked with Sue Pritchett, Sue Russell and Peter Bourke throughout my association with Wilsons they have always managed to find solutions and have been diligent in ensuring documentation and negotiations have progressed flawlessly and rapidly. They have been able to clearly explain clauses and legal jargon in layman’s terms.”
Legal 500, 2024
“I have worked with the property team at Wilsons for over 25 years. The team at are highly approachable, personable, and want to understand you and your needs. They are always aware of different family dynamics, personalities and priorities. They treat you as an individual rather than a billing opportunity. Understand issues rapidly and provide often innovative solutions.”
Legal 500, 2024
Succession planning and disputes
Business succession should be planned. It requires people to make decisions relating to bringing the next generation into the business. It is important that the next generation know where they stand; either those that will be part of the business in the future, or those that will not. Our team can help you plan your business succession.
Where generational succession is not planned it is often the case that there are fraught disputes within the family as to who gets what. Often these disputes arise on the death of the majority owner and it is the next generation down who have the falling out. We have a specialist team that can not only advise you on the consequences and how to best protect your position but can also help you if you think a problem will arise in the future. Our team can help you to prevent disputes arising in the first place. However, in our experience it is often, but not always, the case that litigation means that the family asset has to be sold.
Partnership continuity is also important. We have experts that deal with planning partnership succession and with the consequences when partners fall out.
Agricultural Holdings Act succession is still alive and kicking and will be for the foreseeable future. For a tenant it is vital that succession to such a tenancy is planned and you obtain advice on how to put yourself into a position so as to ensure that the succession is achievable. This should also help to avoid any challenge to a succession and the costs that would be incurred. For a landlord you need to know whether the prospective successor tenant is properly eligible. In both cases our expertise can help.
