Simon Blackburn

Partner

Private Client

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Expertise

Simon advises UK and overseas clients on all aspects of transacting and managing farms, estates and country houses and has been practising in the sector since qualification in 2009.  Simon regularly advises on the sale of land for development, in addition to helping clients to deal with manorial rights and rural rights of way, (public and private); he also has a strong background in dealing with issues arising under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and unregistered land.

Recent Experience

• Advising on the sale of a £25m sporting estate.
• Advising the landlord in (and settling) a complex Agricultural Holdings Act dispute involving an 850 acre farm.
• Overseeing the administration of a large mineral estate
• Disposing of a farm in a £120m deal to provide film studios in former green belt land.

Career History

Joined Wedlake Bell January 2025, having been a partner at Lincoln’s Inn firm Payne Hicks Beach since 2018. Simon was previously at Macfarlanes LLP.

Member of the Agricultural Law Association and the Country Land and Business Association.

 

Endorsements

Ranked by Chambers UK 2024 in Band 2 under Agriculture & Rural Affairs.

Ranked as a Leading Individual in The Legal 500 UK 2024 for Agriculture and Estates.

Ranked as a “Top Recommended Landed Estates Lawyer” in Spear’s 500 2024 and the Spear’s Landed Estates Lawyers Index 2024.

 

"Simon has incredible empathy for clients and is always aware of their needs as well as being an excellent technical lawyer,”

Chambers UK 2024

“An absolute delight to work with and intellectually brilliant”

Chambers UK 2024

“Extremely knowledgeable and efficient in all of our dealings"

Chambers UK 2024

“Simon Blackburn is as good a private client and agricultural lawyer and trusted adviser as one could hope to meet”

The Legal 500 UK 2024

“Simon Blackburn lives and breathes agricultural law but is also very commercially aware and constructive in his approach with the other side – he must be the best agricultural lawyer of his generation.”

The Legal 500 UK 2024

“Readily available to speak to and provides excellent advice, showing an in depth knowledge of his subject,”

The Legal 500 UK 2024

”Very personable and down to earth”

The Legal 500 UK 2024

“Diligent, quick, responsive and communicates well.”

The Legal 500 UK 2024

News

City firm Wedlake Bell welcomes Private Client Partner bolstering team’s agriculture and estates expertise.

City law firm Wedlake Bell has welcomed Partner Simon Blackburn, an agriculture and landed estates specialist. Simon’s arrival takes the partner number in the firm’s Private Client practice to 25,Read more