Sara Lawson KC

Sara Lawson KC is a distinguished barrister with extensive experience in corporate crime, regulatory compliance, and serious fraud. As the former General Counsel to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), she has overseen some of the most significant investigations and prosecutions involving major corporations and international enforcement agencies. Her expertise includes Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), corporate governance, and cross-border legal co-operation. Sara has an enormous depth of experience advising in relation to corporate investigations related to fraud, insolvency, and money laundering.

Prior to her role at the SFO, Sara prosecuted, defended, and advised on all types of crime, specialising in fraud, insolvency, tax, VAT evasion, money laundering, and regulatory offences. She has advised companies on regulatory offences, due diligence, and money laundering requirements. Sara was Standing Counsel to the Insolvency Service from 2012 to 2017.

Sara is well placed to advise companies on compliance requirements in respect of the implementation of the new corporate offence of failing to prevent fraud following the recent change to the corporate liability test. She was part of the teams reviewing Home Office Guidance on ECCTA 2023 (the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act) and SFO corporate guidance. She can also assist with internal investigations following whistleblower or other reports to management. Such investigations may touch on allegations of fraud, corruption, bribery and money laundering and may include possible investigations by national or international law enforcement.

As General Counsel at the Serious Fraud Office from 2019 to 2025, Sara was the most senior lawyer at the SFO. She headed the team with three assistant general counsel and was responsible for Deferred Prosecution Agreements, and approving and signing off guilty plea agreements in numerous investigations. Sara has been instrumental in negotiating and authorising eight of the thirteen UK DPAs, including those with Garulp Systems Ltd, Serco, G4S, Airbus, Airline Services Ltd, Bluu Solutions, Tetris Projects, and Amec Foster Wheeler. Her work on DPAs has involved complex negotiations and collaborations with both national and international law enforcement agencies.

At the highest level, Sara has had responsibility for decision-making in the most high-profile investigations of allegations of enormous national and international significance. She authorised the closure of the Libor SFO cases, advised on investigations into British American Tobacco, and supervised work with Canadian and US enforcement in the Bombardier investigation. Sara had responsibility for advising in the KBR Inc case in the Supreme Court concerning extra-territorial powers, and she advised on the first application for breach of a Serious Crime Prevention Order in the Black £17 million solar panel fraud case.

Sara is the UK’s foremost and most experienced advisor in relation to serious fraud. Her responsibilities at the SFO included signing off the largest corporate guilty plea agreement in the UK with Glencore Energy UK Ltd, resulting in a £280 million fine, confiscation, and costs. She also negotiated and signed off guilty plea agreements with GPT Ltd, which resulted in a £30 million fine, and Petrofac Ltd, which resulted in a £77 million fine.

Sara has extensive experience regarding international investigations with wide experience working with national and international law enforcement and regulators, including the US DOJ, FBI, SEC, Jersey Attorney General, and various serious fraud agencies worldwide. She has worked with UK law enforcement  on sensitive investigations such as the City of London Police, Financial Conduct Authority, National Economic Crime Centre, National Crime Agency, Financial Reporting Council, and reported to Parliamentary Committees and Members of Parliament. Her international collaborations have included working with law enforcement in South Africa, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Sara has overseen numerous other significant investigations and prosecutions, including the conviction of executives of Balli Steel PLC for fraud, the conviction of a company director in a property Ponzi scheme, and the charging of an individual in an alleged Greenergy bio-diesel fuel fraud. She has also overseen the investigation and charging of individuals in cases such as the Patisserie Valerie alleged accounting fraud, the Ethical Forestry Ltd alleged investment fraud, and the Axiom Ince Solicitors’ Group investigation.

Sara's has been responsible for SFO civil litigation, including judicial reviews and appeals. She has had principal responsibility for, and advised on, SFO civil recovery processes, post-trial confiscation, money laundering investigations, and the investigation and securing of evidence for foreign jurisdictions. Sara has also drafted and signed Letters of Request for mutual legal assistance to foreign law enforcement authorities with the SFO Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance Division.

Sara was called to the Bar in 1990 and was appointed Kings Counsel in 2017.

She holds an LLB (Hons) in Business Law, including Accountancy, Business Finance, Employment Law, VAT and Revenue Law, and industrial sociology, from 1986 to 1989. She completed her legal training at the Inns of Court School of Law from 1989 to 1990, specialising in Commercial Law.