Job Description

About The Freeths Agricultural Property Team - Oxford

Our specialist Agricultural Property team advises clients with interests in rural, agricultural and development matters. The team act for some of the largest estates the UK and are ranked in the top tier of both The Legal 500 and Chambers as nationally recognised experts.

The Agricultural Property team is largely based in our Oxford office and is widely recognised as the leading and largest standalone team in the region. Comprising 2 partners, 2 directors, 1 managing associate, 4 senior associates, and 2 legal assistants, the team are a key part of the Freeths Real Estate team which is the largest department in Freeths.

The national Agricultural team is headed by Iain Davis who is based in our Oxford office. Iain is ranked as a Leading Individual (Chambers & Partners, 2025) and recognised as a Recommended Lawyer and Leading Individual in The Legal 500 (2025 edition) for Agriculture and Estates.

The wider Agricultural Group consists of specialist tax, trusts, agricultural litigation, environmental, planning, commercial and partnership lawyers.

About The Role

The team are in expansion mode due to client demand and are looking for a further lawyer to join them. Ideally this lawyer would be between 1 to 4 years’ experience gained within a strong regional or City firm. Your experience will have synergies with the current team who act for landed estates, Oxford Colleges, farmers and landowners, advising on the whole gamut of agricultural and development work.

Examples of the teams’ recent work

• Sale of a large block of agricultural land adjoining Milton Keynes for £189m, having advised on the grant of the Option which underlay the sale
• Promotion Agreement and Collaboration Agreement for 320 acres of land to form one of the 14 Promotion Agreement covering 460 acres forming the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Garden Village – being one of the first of the 14 new Garden Villages.
• Acquisition of a landed estate including 200+ acres, listed farmhouse and buildings, riparian and railway frontages and entitlements. The case involved dealing with various title and agricultural issues and was settled at a value of over £3 million.
• A £12.6 million refinance of farm, dairy unit and farm cottages to include redemption of existing charges over 1,850 acres and four new charges over 650 acres.

Key Responsibilities

• To work to a consistently high level and to provide an exemplary level of client service and care.
• Competent financial management and commercial awareness, including accurate time recording, billing, achievement of firm delivered targets and management of WIP.
• To contribute actively toward business development opportunities to ensure the retention of existing clients and expansion of business.
• To ensure at all times that you maintain up to date technical expertise.
• To be accountable for your own personal development and to continuously develop interpersonal and soft skills.
• To be competent at all times in accordance with the SRA competence standards
• To carry out any other such reasonable tasks that may be required from time to time.

Your skills and qualifications

• Have directly relevant previous experience and have the correct level of post qualified experience (PQE) for the role in question.
• To have a strong commercial acumen and understanding of the industry and business of the client.
• A proven track record of competent financial management, ability to meet client expectations and sound case management skills.
• Good IT skills, experience, and confidence with using case management systems, electronic time recording and general Microsoft packages.
• To be a self-starting, friendly individual with excellent interpersonal skills.
• To be able to consistently demonstrate and embody the firm’s values.

Smart. Bold. Together. We Are Freeths.

Become part of the team at Freeths.

View some of our recent highlights on our website here.

Do we sound like a match? If you’re someone who cares deeply, communicates openly and collaborates effectively, then we’d love to have you join our diverse, inclusive team.