Biography

Sarah is a legal director in our award-winning abuse team. She specialises in defending abuse claims on behalf of local authorities and other public organisations including the police, charities and non-profit organisations. Her caseload ranges from stand-alone cases to large, multi-party group actions.

Since the late 1990s, Sarah has managed and been involved in some of the most complex and high-profile abuse cases in the country, including the largest group action to date against one local authority, which involved 21 different establishments over a 10 year period.

Sarah specialises in more complex failure to remove/protect claims. She was involved in a successful high profile reported defence of a failure to remove claim for a local authority which decided the standards test that social workers/local authorities should meet. This test remains. Sarah also defends cases involving foster placements/failed adoptions, abuse at pre-school facilities and cases concerning vulnerable adults. She also advises on safeguarding issues and procedure.

Sarah is regularly instructed in relation to claims involving misfeasance in public office and under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Currently, Sarah is instructed in the leading and emotive group action concerning claims of Child Sexual Exploitation on behalf of the police. This also involves knowledge of local authority duties and potential liability so Sarah’s dual experience assists greatly in this regard.

Legal 500 United Kingdom Recommended Lawyer – Sarah is recommended for local authority abuse - she is a ‘very experienced litigator who identifies the issues at an early stage and is able to get the best outcome for her clients either through settlement or where the claim has merit by taking the case to trial’.

Sarah became a member of the FOIL Public Sector Focus team in 2018.