Biography
Sarah is a Senior Associate with experience in complex multi-party international disputes, many of which have focussed on transactions adversely affected by the global financial crisis, and in particular the insolvency of a major international bank.
Sarah has experience in dealing with disputes involving a wide range of financial products including derivatives, notes, warrants, Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO) squared programmes and share issuances. Her experience covers pre-action, High Court litigation and mediation. Sarah also has broad transactional experience in a wide variety of complex financial structures including credit, equity and fund-linked OTC derivatives, loan origination, securitisation and transfers of loan portfolios.
Prior to joining Signature Litigation, Sarah was an associate in the Global Finance team at leading US law firm Sidley Austin LLP. Sarah qualified at Sidley Austin LLP in September 2013.
Sarah is a member of the Junior LSLA.
Experience
Commercial Litigation
- Acting for a large institutional and retail claimant group in complex group litigation against a large UK bank and its former directors in relation to allegations of breach of statutory obligations under s.90 FSMA with respect to alleged omissions and/or misleading statements in a prospectus. The areas of complaint include liquidity, capital, credit market exposures, risk management, VAR and LIBOR.
- Acting for an Italian pension fund in its action against a major international bank in relation to a dispute over the quantum of a termination payment under a principal protected constant proportion portfolio insurance (CPPI) product.
- Acting for a Korean insurance company in a dispute against a major international bank in relation to the distribution of collateral and entitlement to a termination amount in a CDO squared transaction.
- Acting for a ‘Class X’ noteholder in several securitisations nearing their maturity date in relation to an alleged miscalculation of interest payments.
Acting for a major US hedge fund in relation to its claim against a major international bank in respect of warrants issued by that bank.
Training and other experience
- Acting for an American multinational investment management firm in relation to a multi-million Euro commercial mortgage-backed note issuance in relation to property portfolios in the Hellenic Republic and admitted to trading on the Irish Stock Exchange.
- Acting for a leading international asset manager in relation to its role as arranger of a multi-million pound facility agreement relating to the refinancing of an acquisition of 14 properties let to a major national furniture retailer.
- Acting for a major international bank in relation to a loan facility it provided to a bank in Botswana.
- Acting for numerous clients in establishing new funds.
- Advising clients in respect of international European regulations in relation to derivatives (European Market Infrastructure Regulations).
- Drafting ISDA documentation.
Areas of Expertise
Sarah Shearman's Latest Published Articles

@SignatureLitLLP
Partner @florepoloni and Associate Thibaud Roujou de Boubée discuss the recent update of the #IBA rules on the taking of evidence, in @lemondedudroit bit.ly/32kvwPG pic.twitter.com/Hpl3LaZ00i