Hugh specialises in acting for clients on a wide range of private-client-related property matters. He acts for private clients, landed estates and institutional clients in relation to all aspects of property law and has particular expertise in guiding clients through the process of both buying and selling country houses, London property, sporting estates, farms, and agricultural land. Hugh also has a wealth of experience in the equine and bloodstock sector, having acted frequently in the sale and purchase of equine property.
Expertise
- Real estate
- Residential property
- Agriculture and landed estates
- Heritage property
- Buying and selling estates and rural property
- Agricultural, commercial and residential leases
- Private wealth
- Charities
- Equine and bloodstock
Experience
Property
- Acted on the sale of a sporting estate with two ownership structures, shooting and fishing rights, tenancies, environmental schemes and entitlements.
- Acted on the sale of a grouse moor with associated employment and corporate advice.
- Acted on the purchase of a large Oxfordshire estate with a complex title, private water supplies and complex planning issues.
- Acted for the purchaser of a racehorse training yard and on transactions involving stud farms.
- Acted in the high value sale of an eco-friendly prime central London to a high profile individual.
- Acted on the high-value purchase of a residential property in Godalming, Surrey in a very tight timescale.
- Advised on the high-value sale of a significant central London property on Hyde Park Gate.
- Acted on a substantial purchase of a residential property in Oxford for a long-standing, well-known media client.
Agricultural
- Acted on the purchase of a property (main house and farm) for £4 million.
- Acted on the sale of an estate which included several hundred acres of farmland let on FBTs and grazing licences, for £5 million.
- Acted on the purchase of a farm for £2 million.
- Acted on the purchase of an estate which include hundreds of acres of agricultural land, for £16 million.
- Acted on the purchase of a farm which included hundreds of acres of agricultural land for £2 million.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in The Spear’s 2023 Property Advisers Index as a Top Recommended Lawyer
Recognised by The Legal 500 2023 for Residential Property
“An excellent team, our clients’ go-to residential and agricultural lawyers. We principally deal with Hugh Murphy. Hugh is efficient, knowledgeable, personable and accessible.” The Legal 500 2023
Recognised by The Legal 500 2022 for Residential Property
“Hugh Murphy has stand out execution skills whilst remaining exceptionally thorough on the detail.” The Legal 500 2022
Recognised in Chambers High Net Worth 2021 and 2022 for Real Estate: High Value Residential
“Extremely efficient [and] a pleasure to deal with. He makes difficult situations pleasurable, is proactive and sensible in his advice.” Chambers High Net Worth 2022
Hugh Murphy of Keystone Law “operates with uncompromising efficiency and professionalism.” Chambers High Net Worth 2021
“He is always on the ball. The good thing about him is that he has so much experience and he makes such a stressful moment in your life much easier.” Chambers High Net Worth 2021
Recognised in The Spear’s 2021 Property Advisers Index as a Top Recommended Lawyer
“Hugh Murphy is always contactable and you get to speak with a partner rather than one of the team. He takes a sensible approach to problem-solving rather than problem-finding.” The Legal 500 2021
Recognised by Spear’s 500 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a Top Recommended Property Lawyer
Career
Hugh qualified as a solicitor in 2006. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2017, he worked at the following firms:
- Bond Dickinson
- Charles Russell