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Contact

Our clerks’ room is open between:

8.30am – 6.30pm

Outside of these hours and in cases of urgency, please contact
Paul Bunting on 07971 843023 or
Darren Madle on 07769 714399.

Clerk contacts

Richard Sheehan

Deputy Senior Clerk

020 7420 9503
Oliver Ventura

First Junior Clerk

020 7420 9505
Aron Hanks

Second Junior Clerk

020 7420 9506
Archie Conners

Third Junior Clerk

020 7420 9507

Our clerks’ room is open between:

8.30am – 6.30pm

Outside of these hours and in cases of urgency, please contact
Paul Bunting on 07971 843023 or
Darren Madle on 07769 714399.

Clerk contacts

Richard Sheehan

Deputy Senior Clerk

020 7420 9503
Oliver Ventura

First Junior Clerk

020 7420 9505
Aron Hanks

Second Junior Clerk

020 7420 9506
Archie Conners

Third Junior Clerk

020 7420 9507

Sarah
Walker

Call: 2013

Tel: 020 7420 9500

About

Sarah’s practice covers all areas of Commercial Chancery litigation. She appears regularly in her own right in the High Court, County Courts and First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) and has considerable experience as a junior in higher value and more complex litigation.

She was recognised as a rising star in Property Litigation in the Legal 500 (2021) and is now ranked as a leading junior, being recorded as “a supremely bright, reliable and hard-working barrister. The quality of Sarah’s written work is always of an extremely high standard and she has the persuasive and intelligent advocacy style to match” (2022).

Sarah is appointed to the Attorney General’s C Panel of Junior Counsel to the Crown and is frequently instructed to advise and represent government departments and agencies, including HMRC, the Insolvency Service, the Official Receiver and the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Notable recent/ongoing work includes:

  • Successfully obtaining an injunction against a well-known energy company to restrain the presentation of a winding-up petition in respect of energy bills said to amount to c.£1million.
  • Acting for the Defendants (led by Nicholas Trompeter KC) in an LCIA Arbitration arising out of a multi-million euro investment in cryptocurrency.
  • Acting for the purchaser of a large care-home business for over £7million in a claim for breach of warranty.
  • Acting for a landlord in an opposed 1954 Act renewal. The trial is listed for 3 days at the beginning of 2024.
  • Acting for a bankrupt in relation to a Trustee in Bankruptcy’s application for an order for sale of her family home worth c.£5million. The matter came in the context of long-running bankruptcy proceedings and a more general background of complex High-Court litigation involving allegations of quasi-fraud under Ukrainian statute. An appeal is outstanding.
  • Acting for a protected party in a professional negligence claim for failing to obtain effective contamination insurance in respect of a property purchase.
  • Acting for the purchaser of shares in relation to an application by liquidators that the dispositions were void pursuant to section 284 of the Insolvency Act 1989 and associated counterclaim for retrospective validation. The claim involved allegations of quasi-fraud and questions of whether the court could validate even if not satisfied the purchase had been made in good faith. The matter was settled just before trial.
  • Acting for a German bank (led by Stuart Hornett) in a complex s.994 petition and breach of warranty claim relating to its investment in a fin-tech start-up. Trial took place over 3 weeks in May 2022 and settled whilst waiting for judgment.
  • Acting for a successful dependent in a claim for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975. Sarah successfully obtained judgment for the applicant’s living expenses and a payment in respect of the applicant’s CFA uplift [Germones v Crafter (Feb 2022)].
  • Acting for the Defendants in a family dispute over the true nature of an oral agreement and the beneficial ownership of two property developments which culminated in a 6-day trial. Sarah achieved a successful outcome and costs order in favour of the Defendants [Bulled v Petrie [2020] EWHC 2485 (Ch)].
  • Acting for the Second Defendant (led by Stuart Hornett) in a claim arising out of a partnership dispute and petition under s.994 of the CA 2006. The case involved serious allegations and counter-allegations of fraud, breaches of director’s duties and setting up competing businesses. Sarah and Stuart were successful on all the above points, resisted the petition under s.994 CA 2006 and established that many UK and Indian companies’ assets worth £30 million+ were partnership property or held on trust. The Court awarded the Second Defendant indemnity costs of the action. The case led to numerous heavy applications including injunctions and share transfer orders in the face of a competing Indian injunction; debarring orders; relief from sanctions and applications for pre-dissolution distributions where Sarah and Stuart represented all the Defendants [Badyal v Badyal [2018] EWHC 68(Ch)].

Sarah undertakes work in all aspects of commercial litigation.  Sarah’s clients include well-known entities such as the Richemont Group and the Kennel Club as well as small businesses and individuals. Her current and recent instructions include:

  • Acting for the Defendants (led by Nicholas Trompeter KC) in an LCIA Arbitration arising out of a multi-million euro investment in cryptocurrency.
  • Representing a claimant in a claim for negligent misstatement against a planning authority.
  • Representing a well-known travel agent in a claim by a customer for cancellation of their holiday, which was due to take place at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Providing advice regarding an indemnity under an assignment agreement in a complex situation involving a multi-million pound fraud and both civil and criminal proceedings.
  • Acting for a defendant (led by Nicholas Trompeter KC) in a claim for the return of c.£500,000 of astroturf.

Sarah has considerable experience bringing and defending claims including allegations of dishonesty.  She has been involved in cases alleging “sham” documents as well as cases involving professional negligence claims involving mortgage/identity fraud, vintage car fraud and property investment project fraud.  Recent and notable cases include:

  • Committal proceedings, led by Romie Tager QC, arising out of a civil fraud and misrepresentation claim involving a multi-million pound property investment scheme.
  • Acting as sole Counsel in relation to a fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract and tracing claim arising out of an investment of nearly £700,000 in a property development project.
  • Acting for two of approximately 15 proposed defendants in relation to an alleged multi-million pound international vintage car fraud, led by Justin Kitson. The matter included a one-day hearing to determine whether the claimant was entitled to resurrect proceedings in the High Court, following an election to pursue the matter in New York.
  • Providing advice regarding an indemnity under an assignment agreement in a complex situation involving a multi-million pound fraud and both civil and criminal proceedings.

Sarah has experience in Company and Partnership matters.  She has experience in dealing with unfair prejudice applications and protecting the rights of minority shareholders as well as just and equitable winding up.  Her recent and current instructions include:

  • Acting for a German bank (led by Stuart Hornett) in a complex s.994 petition and breach of warranty claim relating to its investment in a start-up technology company which culminated in a c.3-week trial. The case settled whilst waiting for judgment.
  • Defending a claim arising out of a partnership dispute and unfair prejudice petition involving approximately £30 million of assets, led by Stuart Hornett [Badyal v Badyal [2018] EWHC 68(Ch)]. Stuart and Sarah were also successful on appeal [Re: Paramount Powders (UK) Ltd [2019] EWCA Civ 1644].

Sarah’s practice covers both corporate and individual insolvency matters. Many of the commercial and property cases she has been involved in have included an insolvency element.  However, she also appears as an advocate on behalf of debtors and creditors in pure insolvency proceedings.

Sarah is regularly instructed in the following matters:

  • Directors’ disqualification proceedings.
  • Public interest winding-up petitions.
  • Contested winding-up and bankruptcy petitions.
  • Applications to annul a bankruptcy order or to rescind a winding-up order.
  • Injunctions to restrain presentation or advertisement of winding-up petitions.

Sarah represents and advises landlords, tenants and lenders in relation to residential and commercial properties. She is regularly instructed on possession and forfeiture matters as well as disrepair claims, service charge disputes and 1954 Act lease renewals.

Current and recent instructions include:

  • Acting for the landlord in respect of a section 8 possession claim and disrepair counterclaim listed for a 1 day trial.
  • Acting for the purchaser of a prestigious country home to obtain possession against common law tenants, renting for below the AST threshold.
  • Advising on and acting for a landlord in a high value claim for an account of profits arising out of unlawful sub-letting.
  • Advising on various issues relating to possession proceedings in respect of residential premises.

Sarah acts for and advises claimants and defendants in professional negligence claims particularly in relation to legal, conveyancing and accounting practices. Sarah’s cases include:

  • Acting for the intended beneficiary of a will in a claim against solicitors for negligently failing to follow up on a draft will sent to the elderly client.
  • Advising on a potential claim against a local authority following its failure to remove tenants from a property.
  • A claim against a firm of solicitors for negligently drafting a sale agreement, conditional on planning.
  • Acting for a protected party in a professional negligence claim for failing to obtain effective contamination insurance in respect of a property purchase.

Sarah undertakes work on real property matters in areas including co-ownership disputes, boundary disputes, easements (particularly rights of way and rights to light), adverse possession and party wall litigation. Recent matters include:

  • A co-ownership and partnership dispute arising out of the breakdown of a romantic relationship.
  • A family dispute in the High Court over the ownership of two valuable property development plots, involving common intention constructive trusts, resulting trusts and proprietary estoppel as well as allegations of forgery. The matter culminated in a 6-day trial in 2020, where Sarah obtained a favourable judgment and costs award for her clients [Bulled v Petrie [2020] EWHC 2485 (Ch)].
  • Acting for a bridging company in relation to possession proceedings to recover a circa. £1million loan and defending a counterclaim from the borrower on the basis of an unfair relationship.
  • A claim in nuisance between neighbours.
  • Advising property owners in relation to a boundary dispute with their neighbours.

Sarah’s property practice regularly includes consideration of probate and administration matters.  She has experience in dealing with claims for family provision under the 1975 Act and incapacity as well as dealing with breach of trust and tracing claims in asset recovery.  Recent cases include:

  • Advising and acting for a husband in a claim for reasonable financial provision from his separated wife’s estate.
  • Acting for the executors in a contentious probate matter contesting the validity of a will on the basis of lack of capacity and/or undue influence.
  • Acting for a successful dependent in a claim for financial provision under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975. Sarah successfully obtained judgment for the applicant’s living expenses and a payment in respect of the applicant’s CFA uplift [Germones v Crafter (Feb 2022)].

Re Brickvest Limited (2022)

A complex s.994 petition and breach of warranty claim relating to a German bank’s investment in a fin-tech start-up which culminated in a c.3-week trial. The case settled whilst waiting for judgment.

Bulled v Petrie [2020] EWHC 2485 (Ch)

A family dispute in the High Court over the ownership of two valuable property development plots, involving common intention constructive trusts, resulting trusts and proprietary estoppel as well as allegations of forgery. The matter culminated in a 6-day trial in 2020, where Sarah obtained a favourable judgment and costs award for her clients.

Re Paramount Powders [2019] EWCA Civ 1644

Successful resisted (led by Stuart Hornett) an appeal against the refusal by the trial judge to make a just and equitable winding-up under s.122(1)(g) of the Insolvency Act 1986. The case involved a detailed analysis of the authorities concerning the analogy with partnership concepts, clean hands and winding up being a last resort.

Badyal v Badyal [2018] EWHC 68(Ch)

Appeared for the Second Defendant (led by Stuart Hornett) in a claim arising out of a partnership dispute and petition under s.994 of the CA 2006. The case involved serious allegations and counter-allegations of fraud, breaches of director’s duties and setting up competing businesses. Sarah and Stuart were successful on all the above points, resisted the petition under s.994 CA 2006 and established that many UK and Indian companies’ assets worth £30 million+ were partnership property or held on trust. The Court awarded the Second Defendant indemnity costs of the action. The case led to numerous heavy applications including injunctions and share transfer orders in the face of a competing Indian injunction; debarring orders; relief from sanctions and applications for pre-dissolution distributions.

Al-Nesnas v Al-Najar and others (2017) Ch

Acted for the Claimant (led by Romie Tager QC) in committal proceedings arising out of a claim for civil fraud and breach of contract and following a successful application for a freezing order. The committal proceedings were settled prior to the full hearing. Sarah has continued to be involved in various satellite issues relating to the beneficial interests held in various properties related to the Defendants.

Re: Ferretti (2016) Ch.

Sarah acted for a world-renowned hair stylist (led by Romie Tager QC and Stuart Hornett) in a complex shareholder/company dispute involving injunctive and interim relief before settlement was achieved.

  • BA (Hons) (First Class), Warwick University
  • GDL, City University (Commendation)
  • BPTC, BPP (Very Competent)
  • Lord Haldane, Lord Denning, Hubert Greenland and Hardwicke scholarships, Lincoln’s Inn
  • Chancery Bar Association
  • Property Bar Association

Please see Sarah’s Privacy Notice here.

ICO Registration: ZA046567

Registered Name: Sarah Elizabeth Walker

VAT Number: 197773247