Sarah Brehaut
Partner
Guernsey
Sarah specialises in contentious insolvency and regulatory disputes, and is an experienced court-going advocate as well as being admitted as a Lt Bailiff of the Royal Court of Guernsey.
She often represents liquidators in contentious and non-contentious matters before Guernsey’s Royal Court, including compulsory and voluntary winding-up.
Sarah also advises and represents directors of regulated entities on regulatory investigations and disputes. She has experience of all types of commercial disputes, and regularly appears in the Magistrate’s Court, Royal Court and Court of Appeal.
Sarah also advises and represents directors of regulated entities on regulatory investigations and disputes. She has experience of all types of commercial disputes, and regularly appears in the Magistrate’s Court, Royal Court and Court of Appeal.
Sarah Brehaut is energetic, highly professional and proficient, and yet puts the client at their ease immediately. She has a facility for cutting through complexity with Occam’s Razor, so good decisions are made very efficiently.
Experience and recent work
Sarah joined AO Hall (Walkers (Guernsey) LLP’s predecessor firm) in 2011 after a long career with the Guernsey Bar. She was called to the Guernsey Bar as an Advocate in January 2001, and to the English Bar as a barrister in 1999.
Qualifications
Admitted in:
- Guernsey
- England and Wales (not practising)
Education:
- Bachelor of Laws (Honours), University of Warwick
- Bar Vocational Qualification, Nottingham Law School
- Certificat d’Etudes Juridiques Françaises et Normandes, Caen University
Sarah is a Notary Public.
2024 - Chambers Global Guide - Dispute Resolution - Band 1:
"She's absolutely brilliant; she displays great humanity and common sense. She's absolutely remarkable in the way she conducts work."
"Sarah is first class at her job."
"Sarah is a very competent lawyer who is easy and efficient to work with."
"Sarah is a formidable lawyer and advocate."
2024 - Legal 500 - Dispute Resolution - Leading Individual:
"Sarah Brehaut is a class act. A great advocate and has real trial experience. She is a good listener and willing to really go the extra mile for the clients. She always wants to do the best by her clients and win. A driven person but knows when to stop."
"Sarah Brehaut is one of the best and most experienced trial advocates on the island. She is extremely fluent in court."
2023 - Legal 500 - Dispute Resolution - Leading Individual - "Sarah Brehaut is energetic, highly professional and proficient, and yet puts the client at their ease immediately. She has a facility for cutting through complexity with Occam’s Razor, so good decisions are made very efficiently."
2023 - Chambers UK - Band 2:
“Sarah is decisive, forthright and easy to work with.”
“An industry stalwart, Sarah has a wealth of knowledge and is always quick to respond with helpful, practical advice.”
“Sarah has provided great support and has good all-round knowledge. She always makes time to help where she can.”
2022 - Who's Who Legal - Recommended - Asset Recovery
2022 - Legal 500 - Leading Individual - "Sarah Brehaut is a very experienced and calm litigator who is very adept at providing sensible advice with a minimum of fuss. She delegates and uses her team very effectively to provide a seamless and cost effective client experience."
2022 - IFLR1000 - Women Leaders
2022 - Chambers UK - Band 2 - "She is very quick to get back, helpful, knowledgeable and gives us the answers we need." "She's very highly regarded locally and she knows the law very well. She can be forceful when she needs to be and provides practical, commercial advice in the context of liquidation."
2021 - Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Dispute Resolution - Guernsey - "Extremely pragmatic and eager to ensure that client’s needs are met while delivering a high calibre of service."
2021 - Who's Who Legal - Recommended - Asset Recovery
2021- IFLR1000 - Women Leaders
2021 - Chambers UK - Band 3
2020 - IFLR 1000 - Highly Regarded
2020 - Legal 500 - Leading Individual - Dispute Resolution - Guernsey
2020 - Chambers Global Guide - Dispute Resolution - "extremely intelligent and very good at clear, concise communication."
2020 - Chambers and Partners UK Guide - Notable Practitioner
2020 - Citywealth Woman of the Year - Rising Star Shortlist
2018 - Legal 500 - Dispute Resolution - Recommended Lawyer - Guernsey
2018 - Bâtonnier of the Guernsey Bar
2018 - Chambers UK Guide - Dispute Resolution - A Notable Practitioner - "Market commentators appreciate her 'very calm' approach to contentious matters."
2017 - Legal 500 - Dispute Resolution - Recommended Lawyer - Guernsey
2017 - Who's Who Legal - Investigations
2017 - Chambers Global & Europe Guide - Dispute Resolution - A Notable Practitioner - "Sarah Brehaut enjoys a growing reputation for her commercial dispute resolution work, with a strong track record appearing before the Magistrate's Court, Royal Court and Court of Appeal."
Sarah was referred to by Sir John Grenfell Nutting Bt., QC in the Court of Appeal as making submissions in a “realistic and indeed persuasive way” and in a further case of conceding “in argument with the realism which we would have expected of her”. In the Royal Court of Guernsey, LB Marshall referred to Sarah’s submissions as "…ably, attractively and forcefully put".
2016 - Legal 500 - Dispute Resolution - Recommended Lawyer
2016 - Legal 500 - ‘A formidable advocate and an expert in her field’
Team Members
