Partner becomes a fellow of the Agricultural Law Association
Amy Cowdell, partner and head of agriculture at full-service law firm Shakespeare Martineau, is celebrating success after passing her Agricultural Law Association (ALA) fellowship exam with flying colours.
The ALA is the UK’s largest inter-professional organisation devoted to the law and business of the countryside and accepts just 20 candidates for the fellowship each year.
The course sees lawyers put through their paces at a two-week residential course, relating to various aspects of agricultural practice, from litigation and tax to succession planning and landed estates. The fellowship builds strategic and technical competence, enabling successful candidates to better advise those in the rural sector.
Upon hearing the news, Amy said: ‘Being an agricultural lawyer is different to other disciplines as we are servicing a sector, with a variety of considerations to take into account, not least the interplay between running a successful farming enterprise and managing multigenerational family dynamics along the way.
‘When advising agricultural clients, it’s crucial to consider all aspects of their farming business and family succession, and the impact certain schemes and dispositions may have on that. I wanted to do the course to expand my own knowledge to ensure I can give the best possible and full-rounded advice to clients. I am absolutely thrilled to have my expertise recognised as a fellow of the ALA.’
With almost 20 years’ experience, Amy specialises in agricultural property law, including buying and selling farms and estates, agricultural tenancies and Agricultural Holdings Act tenancy matters, easements, bank security work, and advising on diversification projects such as commercial lettings, biodiversity net gain and selling land for development.
She is also a leading figure in agricultural organisations across the East Midlands, including Women in Agriculture and the Farming Community Network.
