Eversheds Sutherland (International) LLP

Sarah is Head of the Eversheds Sutherland Public Inquiries and Investigations team with over 20 years’ experience working on a number of very high profile public inquiries, inquests and investigations. Sarah holds higher level security clearance (Developed Vetting clearance) and is conversant with the protocols for handling protectively marked material. Sarah was Supervising Partner, with overall supervision of the team, acting as Solicitors to the Sabina Rizvi Inquest - an Article 2 inquest, which was held at the Old Bailey almost 21 years after the death of Ms Rizvi.

In terms of her public inquiry experience, Sarah has worked on a number of high profile public inquiries while the wider team are currently acting on a wide range of matters including public inquiries and non-statutory investigations.

Sarah is currently Solicitor to the Angiolini Inquiry, looking into matters surrounding Wayne Couzens, David Carrick and systemic issues of misogyny in the police force. She is also leading the teams representing clients who are Core Participants to the Infected Blood Inquiry and the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.

Sarah has also led a team of lawyers acting as Solicitors to the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry (investigating allegations of abuse of children in care), acting for a core participant in the Leveson Inquiry (investigating the role of the press and the police in the phone hacking scandal) and had a lead role on the Rosemary Nelson Public Inquiry (a prominent human rights solicitor who was killed by an under car explosive – there were allegations of state collusion in her death).

Sarah was also Deputy Solicitor to the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry. Sarah’s role involved advising the Inquiry’s Secretariat Team and the Chairman on procedural and project management matters, avoiding adjournments and managing the Eversheds Sutherland team. Sarah was instrumental in developing and managing the bespoke IT systems used by the Mid Staffordshire Inquiry to manage the Inquiry’s rolling timetable and ensure that this statutory inquiry was completed in a two year timeframe. Eversheds Sutherland was awarded second place in the Financial Times awards for innovation in recognition of these systems, which ensured that the Inquiry finished in record time.

In relation to her investigation work, Sarah has conducted independent internal investigations on behalf of clients, including assisting and advising an independent investigator appointed by Birmingham City Council on the Trojan Horse Inquiry which investigated allegations of an extremist plot to takeover schools in Birmingham and was conducted over a period of two months, with the findings withstanding Parliamentary scrutiny. Most recently, she led the Commissioning Body team appointed for the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Telford, an independent investigation

commissioned by the Council to investigate long-standing issues and complaints concerning the sexual exploitation of children.

In addition to her Public Inquiry work, Sarah was a founding Partner of Eversheds Sutherland’s litigation technology and legal project management team and she is Prince II qualified and has been instrumental in both the development of the technology offering (both technology solutions and Legal Project Management) and of the team, which consist of legal project managers and technology analysts.

Partner