"Sara is very steely, very down to earth. Clients like her because she is very straightforward."

Chambers UK 2024

"Sara is a delight to work with from a personality and service-mindedness perspective."

Chambers UK 2024

"Sara is precise, concise and pragmatic in her advice."

Chambers UK 2023

"Sara Chisholm-Batten is a standout partner: extremely capable, but also very user-friendly, Sara is steely, responsive and measured – just what you want in a litigator."

Legal 500 2023

"She is very easy to work with and listens well. She really gets down into the details, and knows the rules inside and out."

Chambers UK 2022

"Sara Chisholm-Batten is an extremely thorough and methodical lawyer who can distil difficult concepts into practical advice."

Legal 500 2022

I’m a Partner in Michelmores’ Disputes team, representing a variety of clients including high net worth individuals, family offices, multi-national businesses, development finance institutions and professional fiduciaries.

Prior to joining Michelmores I worked for a major global law firm. I’m an experienced litigator and tactician, and aim to resolve disputes efficiently (and robustly, where that is in my clients’ interests).

The majority of my caseload involves disputes where parties or their assets are based offshore, in Europe, Africa, Asia, India, North and South America, and many other parts of the world. I work closely with lawyers in other jurisdictions to ensure that clients receive advice that is seamless and that the tactics we deploy are informed by essential local knowledge.

I’m a specialist in cross border enforcement measures, and have a wealth of first hand international experience in this area (including in Emerging Markets).

Over a number of years, I attended the negotiation of the 2019 Hague Convention (HCCH) on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters as an observer for the International Bar Association (IBA). It has been a privilege to be involved in such an important project, which promises to stream-line international enforcement measures for clients whose business or personal interests cross borders.

I continue to be an observer for the IBA at the new HCCH Jurisdiction Project working group, and I’m an officer on the IBA’s Litigation Committee.

I was pleased to be ranked as a notable practitioner in Chambers and Partners 2023 for Litigation, and as a Leading Individual for fraud cases in the Legal 500. I am also ranked as a ‘Future Leader: Litigation’ in Who’s Who Legal 2023 which recognises lawyers with particular international expertise.

Recent experience

Acting for a UK domiciled client and trust beneficiary, defending a multi-million dollar tracing claim brought by a third party based in Kazakhstan. The case spanned multiple jurisdictions including Kazakhstan, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Cyprus, Jersey and the Isle of Man, and involved working closely with local lawyers in various countries

Securing a worldwide asset freezing injunction (with a value of over £23 million) against an individual in a high profile, reported case on behalf of a UK government agency

Recovering over US$9 million for a major US Satellite Communications company in a dispute with a Nigerian entity

Successfully defending and settling a £30 million partnership dispute

Advising, in parallel with lawyers in the local jurisdiction, on a variety of disputes involving off shore corporate and trust structures, including proprietary claims for breach of trust

 

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Chisholm-Batten, Sara