Agribusiness, Aquaculture & Farming

We have significant experience acting for agribusiness owners, including commercial fishing companies, wineries, piggeries, abattoirs, abalone farmers, broadacre farmers and agricultural suppliers. 

Our commercial expertise includes negotiating, drafting and enforcement of key contracts including supply, sale and purchase agreements, supply chain management and organisational structuring. 

We advise across all key Western Australian agricultural sub-sectors including wine, fishing, grain, dairy, fruit, aquaculture, livestock and forestry.

Our agribusiness expertise includes:

  • Preparing and reviewing agribusiness agreements including sharecropping, agistment, leasing, crop lien, financing, supply and other agreements
  • Advising on agribusiness ownership structures, including complex farming partnership arrangements
  • Advising on agribusiness acquisitions, including asset sale and purchase agreements,  land and business sales and leasing
  • Advising in relation to employment and workplace health and safety
  • Advising in relation to sale and purchase of livestock, fishing quotas and permits (including lobster and abalone) in Western Australia and Tasmania
  • Advising in relation to viticulture and winery related matters
  • Advising on construction contracts for farm expansions
  • Preparing water rights agreements
Click to view

Our notable and relevant experience includes:

  • 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 in Hazelmere
    • 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 in relation to restructuring of Borello Beef Group
  • Advised founders in relation to formation and structuring of WA Beef Council
  • Acted on the acquisition and disposal of various high value agriculture and winery properties to local and overseas buyers
  • Advising a pastoralist regarding reciprocal water rights and access to water infrastructure with a neighbouring property
  • Advising clients on exiting a complex multi-party partnership arrangement involving the ownership of a large pastoral station on the Nullabor Plain
  • Acted for seller of five farming properties in Great Southern, including all farming machinery and equipment
  • Advised numerous farming clients in dispute with their banks
  • Advised farming family in relation to intergenerational transfer of broadacre farms in Esperance, in a stamp duty effective manner
  • Advised several broadacre farmers who sold farms to offshore investors
  • Advised in relation to establishment of New Caledonia fishing venture
  • Advised numerous wineries in relation to distribution agreements, PPSR issues, packaging contracts, etc
  • Advised in relation to Warrawagine Cattle Co partnership matters
  • Advised Stone Axe Pastoral Company (wagyu beef) in relation to various commercial matters
  • Acted on disposal of interests in Summit Fertiliser businesses to Sumitomo
Click to view
Anthea Shaw joins Williams + Hughes

Williams + Hughes are delighted to announce that Anthea Shaw has joined our commercial team in our G...

Williams + Hughes Earns Recertification in Meritas, the Leading Global Alliance of Independent Business Law Firms

Williams + Hughes is pleased to announce that it has been awarded recertification in Meritas, a...

Meritas Welcomes DMAW Lawyers, Adelaide, to the Membership

Leading Adelaide commercial Firm, DMAW Lawyers has been selected to be South Australia’s repre...

Privacy policies and procedures: Australian businesses may have to comply with European GDPR laws

On Friday 25 May 2018 the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect, giving...

COVID-19: Temporary relief for financially distressed individuals, companies and directors

The Australian Federal Government has announced temporary amendments to insolvency and bankruptcy la...

Covid 19- an overview of the JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme

The core component of the Federal Government’s business support package in response to the Cov...

Covid-19 relief for commercial tenants in Western Australia

The State and Commonwealth Governments are in the process of enacting legislation to provide relief ...

What tax risks do I take on when I become a company director? (updated)

This is a question often asked of lawyers. There are many risks a person is exposed to when the...

Clarifying the ability of trustees to expand their powers: the decision in Re Application of Country Road Services Pty Ltd

In this article (published in the December 2019 edition of the Law Society Brief magazine) Jonathan ...

Handshake deals and transfer duty: you can’t avoid paying duty by not documenting the deal

Sometimes two parties to a deal are tempted to use a "handshake agreement" to try avoid pa...

Superannuation guarantee amnesty: one last chance to pay compulsory superannuation for non-complying employers who employ "contractors"

Employee versus contractor? Are you sure? Over the past decade many Australian companies hav...

Disclose the full upfront price or risk breaking the law: new upfront pricing laws apply

It is not uncommon for businesses to advertise a headline price for goods and services to their...

Modern slavery legislation: the clock is ticking for Australian companies to prepare their first Modern Slavery Statement

Modern slavery legislation has been enacted in Australia. Many larger companies are now legally obli...

The ACCC is targeting the Australian Wine Sector- winemakers must update their supply contracts with growers

On 3 June 2019 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the ACCC), Australia's co...

New laws imposing mandatory requirements for businesses that supply services: your T&C’s and website must be updated by 9 June 2019

Recent amendments to the Competition and Consumer Regulations 2010 impose new mandatory wo...

Copyright © 2024 Williams+ Hughes. All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Terms & Conditions