What does JM Osborne Rural & Sporting actually do?

Many people think of JM Osborne Rural & Sporting (and its predecessor firm, JM Osborne & Co. Limited) as a firm of Land Agents, operating nationally (including into Scotland and Wales and on occasions overseas), which specialise in sporting work. Indeed, our sporting work accounts for about half of our fee income, including the management of Sporting Estates, Shoot management, buying and occasionally selling sporting properties, giving advice on the letting or renting of them, providing professional advice including litigation support, valuation, advice on leases, tenancies, employment and disputes, all to do with Shoots, shooting, stalking and fishing. 

However, about half our practice has nothing to do with sporting. It is very much a traditional (but in a modern format) Land Agency firm, giving general advice on Estate and Farm Management, again nationally, as well as the associated professional work arising from the ownership or occupation of rural land and property. We are actively involved in farming as well as dealing with tenanted rural properties, but the thrust of our work is essentially problem-solving and the provision of commercial advice. This twin thrust has come to the fore over many years, in part because we have separate to this practice, developed our own commercial enterprises (which is probably unique for a firm of Land Agents), including building and running the largest clay pigeon shooting ground in the UK, building shotguns and rifles (not a good idea!), owning and operating a significant retail enterprise particularly focusing on mail order (shipping up to 700 parcels a day), running our own inert landfill site (and as a result advising others), owning and operating our own licensed premises, the same with a Health Club, a village pub/restaurant, establishing and growing a Corporate Hospitality business hosting over 300 corporate events a year. All of this has given us fantastic experience (sometimes painful!), which has enabled us to advise based on our own experience (the practice rather than the theory), Estate and Farm owners on their diversification. 

We have also professionally been involved in a reasonable number of extremely complex and often very expensive disputes and as a result are very keen to avoid if at all possible, our Clients getting to that stage. We are often asked to advise on such matters as family division of rural property assets and planning for the future. 

JM Osborne Rural & Sporting does not try and compete with National Firms who offer an enormous range of services. Instead, we are completely focused on private client work (we do not act for Government, NGO’s etc.), but believe our experience and the quality of personnel we employ, particularly when allied to the modest size of our practice, enables clients to receive a very high level of service from people who really do understand what they are doing. We are very happy to discuss, without charge or commitment, any issue which is currently affecting you, related to your rural property assets.

Article Written by: Mark Osborne – JM Osborne Rural & Sporting