Meet the NFU legal & technical advisers
Professional advice on farming, legal or technical issues is only a phone call away. Meet the NFU's team of legal and technical advisers.
NFU members can be put in touch with one of our advisers through our member-exclusive helpline CallFirst on 0370 845 8458.
It's an unlimited free service for NFU Farmer & Grower members with all calls answered directly by our own team. Members can call in with questions relating to any aspect of their farming business.
As well as providing the telephone initial legal advice service, the team also support members through the Employment Service offering, vetting documents as well as providing bespoke employment consultancy services.
The team also offers employment law training and oversees the NFU's business guides and model clauses available to members.
Meet the team
Lara Beech
Lara joined the NFU in April 2016 as an Adviser and progressed to Team Leader in 2019 before being appointed Legal and Technical Team Manager in August 2025
Karen Jones
Karen joined the NFU in March 2019 as a Legal & Technical Adviser, bringing with her over 18 years’ experience in employment law and training delivery.
Jeffrey Bradshaw
Jeff began his legal career after leaving school, qualifying as a Legal Executive while working. After three years as an Employment Law Adviser in HR, he joined the NFU in August 2019 and became a Team Leader in 2023.
Louise Smith
Louise joined the NFU in 2021 as a Legal and Technical Adviser and became a Team Leader in 2025.
Raj Johal
Raj is a law graduate with more than 24 years' experience providing legal advice to private individuals and businesses.
Fiona Smith
Fiona's role involves advising members on land law, wills and probate, planning and environment law.
Balvinder Budesha
Balvinder provides advice and consultancy support on employment law matters ranging from employment contracts, handbooks, policies procedures, disciplinary, grievances, and settlement agreements to name a few.
Luke Del Vecchio
Luke provides telephone based legal advice on transport, wills and probate, legal/general and land to our members.
Rachel Lovett
Rachel has worked as a CallFirst adviser for more than 16 years providing advice on agriculture, environment, land, planning, subsidies and food.
Priya Sheth
Priya has been with the NFU since 2007 and has been advising members on employment law throughout her career here. If you have called NFU CallFirst regarding an employment matter, chances are you may have spoken to her.
Zoe Putnam
Zoe offers advice to NFU members through the CallFirst helpline on the following areas: agriculture, subsidies, land law, environment, planning, health & safety.
Sarah Davoile
Sarah is a solicitor who started work in the legal and technical team in October 2012, advising members on the following areas of law; employment, agriculture, transport, subsidies, legal and general – including contracts and negligence.
Nick Shelley
Nick is part of the NFU CallFirst legal and technical team and advises on land, environment, planning, and transport.
Mandeep Phanasan
Mandeep has been a legal and technical adviser with the NFU since 2013, providing members with written and telephone advice, she also specialises in employment, health and safety, transport and agricultural law.
Chandra Bhogaita
Chandra specialises in giving advice in employment law, and has been working at CallFirst since 2019.
Rebecca Booth
Rebecca joined the NFU in 2017 and has nearly 30 years experience in providing telephone-based private and commercial legal advice covering a wide range of areas of law.
Elizabeth Fripp
Elizabeth joined NFU CallFirst as a Legal & Technical Adviser in 2021. She qualified as a solicitor in 2004.
Annemarie Ellis
As part of the legal and technical team, Annemarie helps members with the varied issues that they face on a daily basis, specifically on a range of land matters.
Helen Lynch
Helen first joined the NFU in 2014 and returned after gaining further land and registration law experience at HM Land Registry.