Sarah Gunton

Sarah has been practising as a commercial lawyer for more years than she cares to remember (having qualified as a solicitor in 1994) and has provided advice to many types of clients – from start-ups to multinationals; from heavy industry through to ‘cutting edge’ technology businesses. With experience in-house as well as private practice, it is rare for her to be faced with a type of commercial contract that she has not come across previously. 

I have worked in law firms for most of my career and love the knowledge of the world brought to me by engaging with a wide range of businesses. In fact, I think that most businesses are interesting when the lawyer engages at the right level to provide useful and pragmatic advice. 

I particularly enjoy bringing clarity and structure to complex issues so that they become straightforward for the client. 

I strongly believe that a lawyer should add value, rather than obstructing the client’s objectives. The longer I practise, the more solutions I can offer to achieve the ‘meeting of minds’ that is at the heart of good commercial law advice. 

Sarah also applies a number of different skills: including drafting, negotiating, explanation and analysis. She is always prepared to revise her approach to make sure that the client is receiving advice that fulfils the brief and meets its requirements. 

My aim is always to make the law clear and relevant to the client so that it is in a position to make properly informed decisions. I believe that my primary role is to ensure that both parties to a contract are clear as to their rights and obligations: making sure that the client is properly protected if the relationship breaks down is secondary to this. This is because if the parties are clear, the risk of dispute should be minimised. 

In addition to her role as a Commercial Partner, Sarah is Harper James' Quality and Compliance Director & Commercial Partner. In this capacity, she ensures that the firm complies with its regulatory obligations and provides good value advice of the highest possible quality. Sarah is also dedicated to ensuring that our lawyers are supported in becoming as good at the law as they are capable of being. 

Sarah lives in Bedford with her husband and two teenage children. She grows vegetables organically and whenever possible cycles and hill walks. 

Learn more about Sarah and her journey into law and proudest career moments in our Spotlight on a Solicitor series.