Sarah was admitted as an attorney in 1997. She joined Cullinans as an associate in 2005 and became a director of the firm in March 2008. Before joining the firm she practised in Durban as a litigation specialist and later in London at two international commercial law firms. Sarah is currently practising as a consultant to the firm.
Sarah has specialised in environmental law since 2005. Her work since then has included providing detailed opinions for clients in both the public and private sectors on all aspects of environmental law and assisting clients in all sectors with environmental compliance. She has a thorough understanding of administrative law and has drafted numerous administrative appeals and responses for various clients. She has also provided advice, mentoring and training to Government on various aspects of environmental law and governance.
Sarah has expertise in environmental impact assessment law, having given advice to both applicants for and interested and affected parties in numerous applications for environmental authorisations and has also acted as a specialist reviewer for the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in several applications for authorisation.
She also has expertise in water law and was an Additional Member of the Water Tribunal between 2019 and 2023. Since completing her Masters dissertation on the Threatened or Protected Species Regulations, Sarah has had special interest in biodiversity law and she currently advises several NGOs on matters relating mainly to wild animal conservation and welfare. Sarah was the lead drafter on a project to draft national legislation for the then Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and has assisted with other legislative drafting projects of the firm. She was a member of the Transaction Advisory Group appointed to advise National Treasury on the first round of renewable energy procurement from independent power producers (REIPPP).
Building on her early experience as a litigation lawyer, Sarah has an excellent track-record in environmental litigation in the High Court.