Our farm lawyers work with a diverse range of producers, growers, suppliers, investors, owners and operators in the farming, agribusiness and aquaculture industries. Our cost effective and client focused approach means we offer commercially astute advice that consistently meets the complex requirements of our clients in these industries.
Various members of our team have ties to Western Australia’s farming and fishing industries in the Kimberley, Mid-West, Wheatbelt, and Great Southern. Our staffed Geraldton office, and a regular circuit presence in Carnarvon, services the Mid-West farming and horticulture, commercial fishing and rock lobster communities, as well as tourism operators in the region. We also have a deep knowledge of rock lobster and abalone regulation in Tasmania.
Our Perth office has assisted with legal disputes and provided litigation advice to pastoralists in the Pilbara, tourism and aquaculture operators in Broome, broad-acre farmers and livestock producers and abattoirs throughout the Wheatbelt (Bindoon, Brookton, York, Katanning, Pingelly, Southern Cross, Ravensthorpe, and Esperance), winery operators in the South-West and Great Southern, and abalone operations in Albany and Tasmania.
Agribusiness, aquaculture, and farm lawyer experts in:
Land sales and acquisition
Land access and compensation
Commercial contracts and agreements
Planning and environment
Insurance and risk
Workplace and relations and occupational health and safety
Estate planning
Commercial fishing licenses- Western Australia and Tasmania
Conservation and Land Management Act
Contractual disputes
Construction advice
Business restructuring
International joint venture arrangements
Intellectual property and trademark matters
Insolvency advice
Our relevant agribusiness, aquaculture, and farm law experience includes:
Acting for a tourism provider in Shark Bay in defence of prosecution under the Conservation and Land Management Act in relation to conducting a commercial tour within an exclusion zone at Monkey Mia
Acted for a tourism provider in defence of Local Government prosecution relating to use of Monkey Mia jetty
Acted for a large WA based grains supplier – advising on contractual disputes in relation to grain source and supply contracts, and pricing on grain containerisation and transport
Acted for business owners in the restructure of grain storage and containerisation business. This included acting on disputes with appointed bank receivers and disputes with consultants engaged by the business to market it and seek investment funding
Acted for large global seafood wholesaler in a range of matters including:
Supreme Court action against former director
Quarantine dispute with Federal Government
Advising the sellers of the Harvey Fresh businesses to Parmalat
Advising privately owned Craig Mostyn Group on numerous matters including:
aspects of the acquisition of a large interest in V&V Walsh
construction contracts for multistage expansion of Western Australia’s largest pig abattoir at Linley Valley
construction contracts for expansion of commercial piggery in Mogumber
construction contracts for expansion of Western Australia’s largest meat and poultry waste rendering facility
acquisition of Jade Tiger, Australia’s largest abalone farm. Subsequently prepared construction contracts for the major expansion of the farm and buildings
acquisition of Australian Seafoods (abalone and rock lobster) in Dover, Tasmania. Subsequently prepared construction contracts for the expansion and upgrade of farm facilities
construction contracts for expansion of Dunalley abalone farm
acquisition of Fertal rendering business
divestment of Fataway business
Acting for Fogarty Wine Group, WA’s largest wine producer, on numerous acquisitions, including Evans & Tate brand purchase and transactions with McWilliams, purchase of winery assets and vineyard properties, financing transactions, etc
Advising Kailis Family interests on various agriculture related transactions
Advised in relation to sale of Clarevue Farms to Feng AO (Australia) Agricultural Group Pty Ltd
Prepared and presented an ACCC Compliance Policy and Training Program to senior managers for an Australian agribusiness with offices in several states
Advised founders in relation to formation and structuring of WA Beef Council
Advised in relation to restructuring of Borello Beef Group
Acted in Supreme Court proceedings for a son in a dispute over the family farm and claims of beneficial ownership
Acted in Supreme Court proceedings defending claims by a financier that farming had not been conducted in a proper and skilful manner, and resisting the appointment of a receiver to the farm
Advised investors in defence of claims by a financier relating to funding provided for investments in a eucalypt timber plantation managed investment scheme
Acted for viticulturists in various disputes concerning construction of cellar door facilities, vineyard smoke contamination, and spoiling of warehoused stock
Advising clients on exiting a complex multi-party partnership arrangement involving the ownership of a large pastoral station on the Nullabor Plain
Advised in relation to Warrawagine Cattle Co partnership matters.
Advised Stone Axe Pastoral Company (wagyu beef) in relation to various commercial matters
Acted in the disposal of interests in Summit fertiliser businesses to Sumitomo
You can see full details of our commercial experience here and our litigation and dispute resolution experience here.
If you need representation or have questions, please contact our agribusiness, aquaculture, and farm lawyer team.
