Sarah Garvey
Counsel
London

Sarah Garvey
Counsel
London
Contact Details
Sarah has extensive experience representing clients before the English High Court and in London arbitration proceedings. She handles complex UK and cross-border commercial disputes, with particular expertise in litigating shareholder disputes, conflict of laws and state immunity issues. Sarah also has a strong advisory practice and regularly provides transactional advice on topics such as governing law, jurisdiction, immunity and arbitration.
Sarah is also a key member of Allen & Overy's Brexit team and has been heavily involved in advising clients on the legal implications of Brexit as well as sitting on the Lord Chief Justice's Advisory Committee on Brexit and Civil Jurisdiction, chaired by Lord Hamblen. Sarah also sits on Allen & Overy’s Global Opinions Committee.
Sarah is Chair of the Law Society's Private International Law sub-Committee and a former Chair of the Law Society’s EU Committee. Sarah also sits on the Lord Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Private International Law, chaired by Lord Mance.
Expertise
Practices
Investigations, Enforcement and Business Crime
Qualifications
Professional
Called to Bar, England and Wales, 1994
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 1998
Academic
BA (Hons) History, Queens' College, University of Cambridge
CPE (Law Conversion Course), City University, London
Bar vocational course, London
Related articles

Publications: 19 January 2023
Cross-border enforcement of judgments in the post-Brexit age: a glimmer of light on the horizon?
This article considers whether Hague 2019 represents an attractive additional international convention for UK commercial litigants in cross-border disputes. It assesses the benefits and potential…
Publications: 22 June 2021
Blog Post: 05 May 2021
UK Sanctions - New guidance on monetary penalties and new corruption sanctions regime

Expertise
Practices
Investigations, Enforcement and Business Crime
Qualifications
Professional
Called to Bar, England and Wales, 1994
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 1998
Academic
BA (Hons) History, Queens' College, University of Cambridge
CPE (Law Conversion Course), City University, London
Bar vocational course, London
Experience highlights
Acting for majority shareholders in a high tech company, defending an unfair prejudice petition brought against them by minority shareholders resulting in a four week virtual trial in the Companies’ court.
Acting for the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the EU in proceedings before the English High Court and the General Court of the Court of Justice against the Republic of Syria for non-repayment of loans, resulting in judgments for in excess of 360m euros.
Acting for Deutsche Bank AG in proceedings to appoint a receiver to hold funds for the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) given conflicting claims to act for the BCV. An appeal in these proceedings is due to be heard by the Supreme Court in 2021.