Agricultural law and leasehold specialist joins Vincents

Lancashire law firm Vincents Solicitors is offering a range of new legal services following the appointment of agricultural law and property specialist Mike Kirkham.

Farmers, agricultural tenants, leaseholders and freeholders are all being invited to meet Mike over the coming weeks to find out more about his specialist expertise in arranging leases and resolving disputes.

Mike has more than 25 years’ commercial property experience under his belt, acting for landowners, housebuilders and landlords requiring support for acquisitions, disposals, leases and disputes.

He also has significant experience in acting for freeholders, management companies and leaseholders, dealing with service charge disputes, collective freehold acquisition, ‘right to manage’ cases and lease extensions.

As a member of the Agricultural Law Association, Mike also has worked with numerous farmers and landowners, dealing with the sale, purchase and leasing of all forms of agricultural land together with managing tenancy succession and leasehold disputes for a number of years.

In order to bring these new services directly to agricultural clients, Mike will be based primarily in the firm’s rural branches in Longridge and Garstang, and handle property work from Preston and Blackpool.

He said: “Vincents has a great geographic spread in Lancashire which is ideal for my expertise, with offices across rural Lancashire and the urban hubs of Preston and Blackpool. I will be able to provide agricultural legal services to both landowners and tenants, as well as supporting leaseholders and freeholders with new arrangements and disputes.

"I have also been heavily involved in land acquisition and residential development, and asset and share purchases of numerous businesses. I am pleased to be joining a well-established and successful commercial team and to be able to expand services we offer and build a team to extend this further.”

Mark Alexander, head of Vincents’ commercial department, added: “Mike is a hugely experienced practitioner with a reputation for success in handling commercial property deals, disputes and resolution, with a particular emphasis on agricultural clients and leaseholder enfranchisement. His expertise will provide additional support for existing clients and will, hopefully, attract new clients by offering these additional services.” Mike started his career as a trainee with Widdows Mason in 1990 and completed his training with the firm, with whom he stayed for 17 years becoming the partner heading the property department. He set up his own solicitors firm  Kirkham Edwards in 2007 before joining  Brown Turner Ross in 2010.