Sara George

SARA GEORGE is Sidley's lead Crisis Management and Strategic Response lawyer in Europe. She is a former prosecutor for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), and brought the first criminal prosecution by the FSA against a director for misleading the market (Regina v. Rigby and Bailey), the first Listing Rule contravention, numerous market abuse cases, and refusals of authorization.

Sara has extensive experience representing corporations in crisis situations and in matters involving allegations of criminal misconduct, including market abuse, insider dealing, money laundering, cybersecurity breaches, fraud, corruption, and bribery.

Sara has received acknowledgement from numerous industry ranking guides:

• Chambers UK 2025 – Ranked in Band 1 for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory (Individuals), where clients noticing that “Sara is super sharp and tenacious, which is exactly what’s required with aggressive prosecutors”, also that “Sara has an innate understanding of how to resolve difficult regulatory conundrums,” and that “she has a very impressive attention to detail and breadth of knowledge.” Sara has been ranked for Financial Crime: Individuals, with clients commenting that “she has a wealth of knowledge and is multi-skilled. She always goes the extra mile to meet our needs.” Sara is also ranked for Corporate Crime and Investigations, with clients noticing that “she's professional and efficient,” also that “she can quickly analyse the situation and provide the best legal advice to clients,” “she has a wealth of knowledge and is multi-skilled. She always goes the extra mile to meet our needs”, and that “Sara impresses with her knowledge and ability to craft an experienced team of lawyers and understand the business and political landscape and how that impacts the client.”
• Legal 500 UK 2025 – Recognized as Leading Partners for Financial services: contentious and for Fraud: white-collar crime (advice to individuals) where clients note that “Sara George is truly exceptional.” Sara is also recommended for Regulatory investigations and corporate crime (advice to corporates).
• Chambers UK 2024 – Ranked for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory, Financial Crime: Individuals, and Financial Crime: Corporates, where clients comment “Sara is an absolute expert in the FCA. She has a wealth of experience and there is nothing that she hasn’t come across before.”
• Legal 500 UK 2024 – Recognized as a “Leading Individual” for Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals), and also recognized for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory, and Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates). Client feedback includes “Sara George; truly an exceptional individual who truly goes all out to do the very best for her client. Not only does she have extensive experience but she also works tirelessly to achieve the optimal outcome,” and “Sara George is a preeminent regulatory lawyer and a tenacious fighter when it comes to litigation, criminal or civil.”
• The Lawyer Hot 100 2024 – Recognized for her experience in international criminal and human rights investigations, and experience pioneering “corporate investigations in countries with no history of this, such as in the Horn of Africa.”
• Chambers Crisis & Risk Management Guide 2023 – Ranked in Band 1, with clients saying “Sara George is as good as it gets. Responsive and thorough, she epitomises integrity and gravitas. She provides outstanding strategic advice.”
• Chambers UK 2023 – Ranked for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory, Financial Crime: Individuals, and Financial Crime: Corporates, with sources saying she is “talented, knowledgeable and forward-thinking.”
• Legal 500 UK 2023 – Recognized as a “Leading Individual” for Fraud: White-Collar Crime (Advice to Individuals), and also recognized for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory, and Regulatory Investigations and Corporate Crime (Advice to Corporates). One client told the publication “Sara is truly the best lawyer I have ever worked with. Her knowledge, network, forward thinking, commitment is truly exceptional.”
• Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards 2023 – Shortlisted as a finalist for “Innovative Leader — Private Practice.”
• Chambers UK 2022 – Ranked for Financial Services: Contentious Regulatory, Financial Crime: Individuals, and Financial Crime: Corporates, with sources saying she has “fantastic depth of experience, knowledge and analysis of the law.”
• Best Lawyers 2022 – Ranked for Financial Services. 

In recent years, Sara has worked on the following matters:

• Representing one of the world’s largest manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and consumer electronics in respect of obtaining evidence in the UK for use in the high-profile criminal trial of an executive of the company who had been detained abroad.
• Advising on an investigation for a Utah-headquartered multi-level marketing company which arose following media allegations that certain aspects of its third-party supply chain had developed substandard working conditions, and that agents of its supplier may have sexually assaulted women.
• Representing a global aviation and aerospace corporation in a publicly reported investigation involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), the South African State Capture Commission, and the South African SIU into potential FCPA violations in Nepal and South Africa.
• Representing an online retailer in criminal and civil matters arising out of crisis events in which members of the company’s security group engaged in a campaign of stalking and harassment.
• Acting for the French holding company of a global logistics business and its UK subsidiary in an investigation after a whistleblower raised allegations of wrongdoing by senior managers of the UK subsidiary, including allegations of potential UK Bribery Act offences.
• Representing a Chinese surveillance equipment company in relation to a British parliamentary investigation into the use of slave labour in the supply chain and the perceived risks to the UK’s national and security interests of the incorporation of the company’s equipment into the UK telecommunications and surveillance infrastructure.
• Providing critical crisis advice and counsel to a UK subsidiary of a global manufacturing company with respect to a highly sensitive internal investigation and related disclosure to enforcement authorities of certain military export control violations and the implementation of remedial measures, including the impact on existing export licenses and future export license request.
• Conducted an internal investigation for a technology distributor in relation to a whistleblowing allegation by a former accountant at the UK firm that the accounts were improperly overstated to disguise losses on IT contracts. Based on the information we obtained in our comprehensive investigation, we were able to put our client in a stronger, more secure position in the ongoing remediation.
• Advising the underwriters on the US$1 billion SEC-registered offering by Spanish issuer Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria.  
• Advising accountants in relation to professional disciplinary proceedings.
• Advised a global law firm on an investigation into misconduct by a partner.
• Advised a number of senior managers and partners in relation to misconduct allegations made against them by junior staff.
• Advising several of the most senior traders and executives at major investment banks in relation to the global FX spot fix, LIBOR, and EURIBOR manipulation investigation.
• Representing the Bank of England whistle-blower in liaisons with the U.S. DOJ regarding a safe passage agreement to assist with their investigation.
• Advising banks in relation to alleged money laundering.
• Advising banks and senior individuals on matters relating to the UK Bribery Act 2010.
• Successfully defended a retail bank over an FSA enforcement investigation in relation to FSA claims that deficiencies in their systems and controls posed risks of unsuitable mortgage advice to customers.
• Advised an investment company in relation to a complaint raised by an investor in one of the client’s unregulated collective investment schemes.
• Secured upheld complaints from the Complaints Commissioner concerning the conduct of FCA staff at a meeting with senior officers of an international brokerage firm and secured an apology from the FCA.
• Advised on a high-profile FSA criminal investigation into allegations that fraudulent statements were made to the market, and that misrepresentations were made in the firm’s accounts.
• Advising and representing banking clients with regards to enforcement investigations in relation to FCA claims of deficiencies in their systems and controls posing risks of unsuitable advice to customers.
• Advised an oil trading brokerage firm on an FSA investigation into market abuse committed by a trader at the company.
• Secured an upheld complaint from the Complaints Commissioner concerning the conduct of FCA staff in relation to the failure to disclose that a financial penalty was time-bound.
• Conducted an internal investigation following a whistle-blower complaint that members of the client’s team bidding for a PFI contract to provide services to the UK Government allegedly received confidential information from a former Ministry of Defence employee, who was subsequently employed by the client.
• Represented a global inter-dealer broker in relation to an investigation where staff were alleged to have systematically defrauded the firm, involving the first use by the FSA of powers under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act to agree a reduced sentence or “plea bargain” for an assisting offender.
• Conducted an investigation by an inter-dealer brokerage firm into employees alleged to have paid kickbacks to clients to secure orders.
• Investigated allegations of money laundering for politically exposed persons in Central Asia by a state-owned Russian bank.
• Advised on business conduct policy and procedures in respect of operations in the Nigerian oil delta.
• Advised a reinsurer in relation to a claim worth US$250 million, who suspected an attack on an insured vessel had been faked and that the salvage company was complicit in the fraud.
• Advising a hedge fund in relation to the mismarking of portfolios.
• Conducted for an insurance broker an investigation and advised on self-reporting obligations following the identification by the firm’s auditors of irregular payments to third parties in excess of the agreed normal commission arrangements.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.

• Financial Women’s Association (FWA)