Roythornes works closely with various farms and estates on a range of disputes, including those concerning propriety estoppel and disputes about wills and trusts from landed clients. The agriculture and food industries are particular focus areas for the team. Tim Russ is an expert in litigation involving land and agricultural property, while Jak Ward focuses on disputes regarding the interpretation, construction and validity of a will. Gavin Faber joined the team from Gateley Legal in April 2023.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Jak Ward is a tough and knowledgeable litigator. He's a safe pair of hands in estates and trusts disputes.’
‘Roythornes are undoubtedly one of the leading agricultural practices and this features high in their contentious trusts and probate specialism. They strive to achieve the very best results for their clients and feedback is always extremely positive.’
‘Tim Russ is a very experienced partner and is rightly described as a leading individual. Jak is a gifted young partner who fights tenaciously for his clients to get the very best results.’
‘We regularly have Roythornes as opposition on contentious probate matters and actively refer conflict matters to them. The reason for this is simple: Jak Ward is easy to deal with as an opponent. That is not to say he is a push over because he will fight his client's corner to the best of his ability. We have the confidence that he will be advising his client fully, properly and appropriately. In the contentious probate world, where there are a lot of dabblers, that is the most important thing. Jak is not a dabbler, he is an expert in this field.’
‘The firm are well regarded and well led by Jak Ward. They have a growing presence for this work in the local area.’
‘Jak Ward is a fantastic lawyer and a great person to work with. He has a sense of humour and a realistic attitude, but will fight diligently for his clients. He is clever, always well prepared and on top of his cases. You couldn't ask for a better solicitor and he has a great and growing reputation.’
‘Roythornes as a firm has a particular focus on agricultural and rural matters, and the contentious trust and probate team brings real understanding of that background to what are often very contentious matters indeed.’
‘Tim Russ, who leads the team, is an excellent litigator with a practical and effective approach to dispute resolution.’