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Bertie is a partner in the private client and tax team and focuses on farms and estates.
His practice focuses on advising landowners and estates on a wide variety of management and succession issues including the sporting, agricultural and commercial aspects. Bertie also advises forestry investors and increasingly clients who are looking at carbon capture opportunities and biodiversity offsetting.
Bertie has extensive experience in advising clients looking to purchase estates, farms, and country houses either as part of a portfolio or as first time buyers. This advice includes structuring advice where appropriate.
Recent recognition
Me in a minute
I am responsive, commercially aware and have empathy for the client and their objectives
I lead the landed estates team and advise clients on all matters relating to land and land ownership. This area of the law has evolved significantly ever since 2001 when I joined Withers, and since then my team and I have made it our business to be at the forefront of thinking in relation to opportunities that exist for those connected to the land.
For many clients, their decisions about succession are largely influenced by how to deal with the land that they own, so I work very closely with my wealth planning partners to help clients to make provision for the future and to keep their land intact for the next generation. I act as a trustee for a number of landowning families.
I also head a team of dedicated rural property lawyers who specialise in buying and selling a wide range of property for clients, from country houses to investment land, sporting estates and grouse moors. My guiding principles are to be responsive, commercially aware, and most importantly, to have empathy for the client and their objectives. It is my job to ensure that clients get the high level of service that they deserve.
I am very interested in the future for farming and land management in the post-subsidy era, particularly in relation to diversification, biodiversity offsetting, carbon capture and agri-tech. Far from being something to fear, I think the future holds a myriad of options for land managers and investors and I get a huge buzz out of helping clients make those strategic decisions about what will work best for them.
I live on a farm with my wife, three children and a lurcher called Sybil.
Track record
Property
Transacting over 30,000 acres in England in the 2015-2016 financial year.
Stamp Duty Land Tax treatment
Advising clients on the Stamp Duty Land Tax treatment of their property purchase leading to an unexpected saving of over £600,000.
Retention mechanism
Structuring a purchase using a retention mechanism which allowed the reclaim of 25% of the purchase price of sporting rights without compromising the use of the rights.
Insight
Admissions
England and Wales, 2003
Education
University of Newcastle, B.Sc. (Hons) Countryside Management
Languages
- English
Memberships
Member of the judging panel for the Purdey Awards
Country, Land and Business Association
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust
European Landowners Organisation
Agricultural Law Association
Moorland Association
Key dates
- Year joined: 2001
- Year became partner: 2008