Sarah Parker

Sarah Parker

Call: 2016

"3 Verulam Buildings is first-class."

- Chambers & Partners UK Bar (2022)

“The set boasts some of the strongest practitioners in the market.”

- Chambers & Partners UK Bar (2022)

Practice Overview

Sarah maintains a broad practice across Chambers’ areas of expertise with an emphasis on banking and finance, civil fraud, commercial disputes and IT law. She has been instructed as sole counsel in both County Court and High Court matters, and as junior counsel.

Sarah has experience of cases involving issues such as unjust enrichment, breach of trust, dishonest assistance, knowing receipt, insolvency and bankruptcy, contractual disputes, business interruption insurance, authorised push payment fraud, disclosure and privilege. She has been involved in applications for injunctive relief, as well as various procedural matters. Sarah has also assisted in cases with an international element raising conflict of laws issues. Her academic and career experience make her well-suited to complex matters encompassing intersecting issues.

During 2023 Sarah was seconded to Peters & Peters Solicitors LLP in the Civil Fraud and Commercial Disputes Department.

Sarah is currently instructed as part of the legal team acting for the Republic of Mozambique in the so-called “Tuna Bond Scandal”, a US$2bn Commercial Court matter against a number of parties including Credit Suisse, VTB and Privinvest.

Sarah’s background in business means she brings practical business experience and sound commercial sense to her cases. Before joining 3VB Sarah was co-founder and Managing Director of a company supplying management software to the voluntary sector.

Sarah is a member of the Society for Computers and Law.

Examples of recent matters include:

  • Acting for the assignee of the claims of a company in administration for repayment of sums drawn down from the company by a former director (Sole counsel).
  • Lynch v Aldermore Bank [2022] EWHC 3050 (Ch). Acting for the Bank in its appeal against the decision of Chief ICC Judge Briggs to overturn a trustee in bankruptcy’s admission of a proof of debt based on a bank guarantee (led by Ian Wilson KC).
  • Acting for the defendant Bank in a claim relating to a professional practice loan following the collapse of Halliwells LLP. Claim dismissed, counterclaim allowed, and contractual costs awarded to the bank (Sole counsel).
  • Drafting pleadings in various claims for restitution on the grounds of unjust enrichment (Sole counsel).
  • Instructed as part of wider legal teams in the early stages of various substantial commercial disputes.

Before taking tenancy, Sarah assisted her supervisors and other members of Chambers as a pupil in matters across 3VB’s practice areas including banking, insurance, fraud, international arbitration, regulatory matters and commercial litigation. Highlights include:

  • Covid-19 business interruption insurance test case – Commercial Court [2020] EWHC 2448 (Comm) and Supreme Court (assisting Adam Kramer).
  • Acting for a receiving bank in a claim arising out of a push payment fraud (assisting Adam Kramer).
  • Etihad Airways PJSC v Air Berlin – Court of Appeal 2020. €2bn airline financing dispute, jurisdiction battle (assisting Adam Kramer).
  • LCIA arbitration concerning a privatization in the gambling sector (assisting Judy Fu).
  • LCIA arbitration involving the energy sector in Africa (assisting Adam Kramer and Judy Fu).
  • Broomhead v National Westminster Bank – acting on behalf of a bank to resist a claim that an earlier judgment dismissing a £17m claim made by a customer was tainted by fraud (assisting Charlotte Eborall).
  • Winlink Marketing Ltd v Liverpool Football Club & Athletic Grounds Ltd [2020] EWHC 2271 (Comm) – claim for commission against premiership football club relating to sponsorship deal (assisting William Day and Andrew Sutcliffe QC).
  • Lombard North Central plc v European SkyJets Limited and others [2020] EWHC 679 (QB) – appeal in relation to a first instance refusal to set aside a default judgment concerning the validity of a default notice (assisting Charlotte Eborall).
  • Part 71 oral examination proceedings and related committal applications in relation to the recovery of a £9.5m judgment debt (assisting Charlotte Eborall).
  • ROVOP v Atlantic Marine (2020) – Acting for the manufacturer and supplier of submersible remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in mandatory injunction proceedings for the delivery up of an ROV and ancillary relief (assisting Philip Hinks).

Before coming to the Bar, Sarah had a career in IT as co-founder and managing director of a company providing online management software to the voluntary sector. As a result, Sarah has developed an interest in IT Law in a commercial context.

Prior to joining Chambers, Sarah worked as a law reporter at the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales (ICLR) in the Chancery Division Team where she regularly attended court to cover High Court and Court of Appeal cases. She contributed law reports to the Law Reports, the Weekly Law Reports, Business Law Reports, the Public & Third Sector Law Reports and Industrial Cases Reports.

Sarah has a background in philosophy having completed a PhD in inter-disciplinary philosophy of mind which considered the role of emotion in human rationality. After completing her doctorate, Sarah also spent some time as assistant curator at a university museum where she undertook research in the history of zoology.

The Lawyer Awards 2022: Chambers of the Year