Samantha specialises in real estate law, particularly within the rural sector dealing with all types of non-contentious agricultural and landed estate work as well as high-value residential property and commercial property. She has developed her expertise in agricultural property law over 15 years, dealing with all aspects of property law from multi-million-pound re-financing to option agreements for large residential developments to grazing licences. Her interest in the “field” comes mainly from the diversity of work it offers. She is known for being focussed on her client’s needs and priorities at all times, and the majority of her work comes from personal recommendation.
Samantha’s clients include landed estates, lenders, private investors, high-net-worth individuals, Oxford Colleges, landlords, tenants and charities.
We recently completed on our dream property in the countryside - slightly daunting, having previously only dealt in big cities where there are fewer issues to contemplate. Samantha remained unflappable throughout the process and her experience, attention to detail and lovely sense of humour were instrumental in achieving a successful outcome. We would certainly be happy to recommend her services.
Michael Hedegaard, Client
Samantha was a superstar from start to finish and vital in helping navigate what turned out to be a complex and time consuming transaction. I have no doubt that without Samantha’s excellent advice throughout, the purchase would have fallen through. We couldn’t have done it without you, thank you!
James Watts, Director, Country Residential
Many thanks for all your help on turning this around in short space of time and as efficiently as you have.
E. Phillips, Chief Executive, Luton Hoo Estate
I can’t recommend highly enough the services of Samantha Leigh: highly professional and reliable, always going the extra mile and a total pleasure to work with.
R. Grimond, Nettlebed Creamery
Expertise
- Rural/landed estates
- High-value residential property
- Lending
- Commercial property
- High Net Worth Family Office
Experience
Rural and landed estates
- Purchase of a listed farm house with cottages, ancillary cottages, farm buildings, menage and lake. Spread over 8 titles and including unregistered land, the contract involved apportionment of stewardship scheme responsibilities, apportionment of single farm payments and allocation of responsibility for and use of a private water supply. Exchanged within 5 days of instruction.
- Purchase of a coastal estate including a stretch of beach, a manor house and ancillary holiday lets plus agricultural land leased on a mixture of FBTs and AHAs.
- Purchase of a listed manor house with listed gardens including an Elizabethan knot garden, woodland and arable land let on an FBT. Also ancillary staff accommodation and stables. Granting and taking of easements, sorting out boundary obligations and later a mortgage of the same. Surrender of AHA tenancy and variation of intermediate lease. Advised on the consequences of the removal of the land from a stewardship scheme and the sale of entitlements. Advised on listed status and AONB status and the consequences on proposed planning applications.
- Purchase of approx. 800 acres of agricultural land in North Lincolnshire with funding from AMC in part. Multiple vendors including individuals, executors and trusts and land registered within farm woodland premium scheme, and basic payment scheme. Transfers of part titles and various anomalies requiring statutory declarations and indemnity insurance. Drainage Board registration complexities and holdover and tenant right to cater for. Simultaneous exchange but staggered completions entailing research and advice on SDLT obligations.
- Purchase of house in Kensington involving purchase of an interest in the garden square and complex arrangements relating to vaults beneath the house. Exchange within 3 days of instruction.
- Advised individuals on the complex purchase of a converted barn and land with trustees and executors acting on the sales and land being sold as part of 5 titles with integrated rights and obligations to be mapped. Advice provided on SDLT savings tracing the ultimate beneficiary of the vendor trust allowing for a mixed use application to be made and consequent discount
- Advised on sale of property and land including a weir with complex access and maintenance issues and cross covenants with neighbouring land requiring consent to sale and registration
- Advised company on purchase of partly registered/unregistered tract of 200 acres of farmland. Difficulties arose due to the lack of documentation and a time delay but were concluded with complex provisions for future development.
- Advised an individual in the transaction and purchase of a listed manor house with a mill race and weir involving unregistered land, manorial rights and unregistered rights of way
- Advised individuals purchasing a house with adjacent dwelling and land with timescales being of utmost importance. This resulted in reports being prepared and shared via Netdocs and all documents being signed and returned within 5 days of instruction using Docusign.
- Advised an individual on the management and resolution of real estate matters for a dispute with family members regarding the estate of a late relative.
- Advised a couple on the complex purchase of a listed Old Vicarage and neighbouring land in a historic village with significant issues including part of the land being unregistered as well as containing woodland so SDLT advice was provided
Lending
- Acted for a bank in a loan to a mixed farming, residential and commercial estate and completion of security in order to release funds for the development of the farm for various diversification operations. The security was taken over land held in trust, land held by third-party family members and the properties were, in part, subject to service occupancies and assured agricultural tenants.
- Lending work for a farmer for the development of part of the land for housing development. Releasing rights of way, registering unregistered land, transferring land between entities and compliance with all bank lending requirements including debentures, personal guarantees, third-party loans and amendment of a farm partnership agreement to allocate responsibility.
- Acted for a bank in the mortgage of gallops, paddocks, equestrian buildings and arable grazing land for a trainer.
- Acted for the borrower and the bank in the mortgaging of a portfolio of mixed properties including residential houses in Chelsea, commercial property and rural land. Lined up simultaneous completion for the various lenders on both the redemption and grant of loans.
- Acted for a private bank in the loan to a client for a purchase. Drafted bespoke lending documents and secured loan on property owned by the borrower as well as the new property.
Commercial property
- Grant of a lease of high-class office accommodation within converted cow sheds on an agricultural estate with associated grants and reservation of rights on neighbouring land. The grant of the lease followed an agreement for lease, subject to planning and development, on a World Heritage Site.
- Letting of listed manor house, grant of farm business tenancy, licence to use deer park, pre-emptions on any leases and freeholds of the land in question plus neighbouring land, grant of option to take leases of other sites depending on planning outcomes, licence to ride and walk in neighbouring forest. Multiple clients including offshore trust, trusts and individuals.
- Ran the commercial property portfolio in Warwickshire for a client including grant and surrender of leases and all aspects of commercial lettings. Created a pack and data room for the smooth running of all new lettings.
- Purchase and consequent management of a portfolio of commercial lettings in Mortlake.
- Grant of a lease of a serviced office on a listed property on an agricultural estate including specific service charge obligations, division of the responsibilities according to facilities with completion within 10 days of instruction with an inspection of the facility by Zoom during lockdown.
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised as a Leading Individual in The Legal 500 for Agriculture and Estates (2022-2025)
Acknowledged by Chambers 2025 as being well known for advising landlords, investors and charities on a range of agricultural matters.
“I can’t recommend Samantha Leigh highly enough. She anticipated issues before they arose and was always exceptionally responsive. We felt in safe hands throughout the conveyancing process, even when things inevitably went wrong with the sale or purchase.” The Legal 500 2025
Recognised by Chambers UK 2024 for Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Recognised by Chambers UK 2023 for Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Committee member of the CLA – Oxfordshire Branch
Band 1 in Chambers UK 2022 for Agriculture & Rural Affairs
“She is very practical and a pleasant person. She facilitates transactions very well. She gets the job done.” Chambers UK 2022
“She is very straightforward, pragmatic and easy to work with.” Chambers UK 2021
Career
Samantha qualified as a solicitor in 1997. Prior to joining Keystone Law in 2022, she worked at the following firms:
- Freeths
- Darbys
- Russell-Cooke