Sarah is Joint Head of the Business Crime Team at 5SAH and is ranked in The Legal 500 for confiscation and asset recovery and Chambers & Partners for asset recovery and financial crime, private prosecutions. She has won Financial Crime Junior at the UK Bar Legal Awards 2023.
Sarah practises in business crime, asset recovery, civil fraud & confiscation, crime, extradition & international, family and professional discipline & regulatory law.
Sarah Wood is an experienced and highly accomplished barrister who specialises in Proceeds of Crime & Asset Forfeiture, Business Crime, Private Prosecutions, and Financial Remedies cases in the Family Court involving high-value assets and complex financial arrangements.
Sarah is Joint Head of the Business Crime Team at 5SAH. She is ranked in The Legal 500 (Tier 1) and Chambers & Partners (Tier 2) for her Confiscation & Asset Recovery work. Sarah is also recognised in Chambers & Partners for Financial Crime - Private Prosecutions, in the exclusive spotlight table.
She is known as the ‘go-to’ Barrister for cases involving both POCA and matrimonial finance. She is one of a handful of barristers with experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims.
Sarah was the Winner of The Legal 500 UK Bar Awards 2023 for Financial Crime junior of the year.
Sarah regularly writes and speaks on all areas of her work.
What the legal directories say about Sarah Wood:
‘ Without a shadow of a doubt one of the best barristers I have ever worked with. Sarah is incredibly hard-working, knowledgeable and always goes the extra mile to assist both me and my clients. Nothing ever seems to faze Sarah and she is always at the end of a phone should I need to speak with her. Sarah has an excellent manner with clients and always works tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome. ’
The Legal 500 2022
‘She is a superb lawyer and sees points of admissibility that others do not. The best of her generation in terms of effort and ability. As an advocate she is direct, calm and makes the point really effectively.’
"An incredibly gifted, very intelligent person who is very capable in financial crime and POCA work."
Chambers and Partners 2021 & 2020.
‘She is a superb lawyer and sees points of admissibility that others do not. The best of her generation in terms of effort and ability.'
'As an advocate she is direct, calm and makes the point really effectively.’
'She has a forensic eye for detail.'
The Legal 500 2021 & 2020.
Asset Recovery, Civil Fraud & Confiscation
Sarah is one of a handful of barristers with experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims. She has the knowledge and understanding to be able to advise and represent clients in both sets of proceedings, including as an interested party pursuant to POCA s10A. This ensures consistency and an all-encompassing overview of the case.
“A very thorough barrister with a calm demeanour, who provides well-informed advice and never gets flustered.”
Chambers and Partners 2023.
Sarah frequently appears in both the High Court and the Family Court in this area of work and is regularly instructed to act on behalf of the CPS as the intervener in the family proceedings. She is currently instructed in this capacity in a number of high-profile cases by the CPS. In addition, Sarah presently has a number of instructions from family solicitors and direct access clients where she has been asked to advise a party in financial remedy proceedings about the implications of a potential confiscation order against the other party to those proceedings. She regularly writes and presents seminars on the interplay between the two sets of proceedings.
“In line with her expertise in family financial disputes, she displays particular knowledge when it comes to contemporaneous confiscation and family ancillary relief proceedings.”
Chambers and Partners 2020.
Sarah has a detailed knowledge of restraint, confiscation and enforcement proceedings with experience in this area in the Appellate Courts, the High Court and the Crown Court. She is frequently instructed in complex POCA s22 applications, enforcement receiver applications and has extensive experience of POCA orders in relation to cryptocurrencies.
Sarah is currently instructed by both Applicants and Respondents in a number of Account Freezing and Forfeiture applications.
Sarah has experience of the disclosure issues that arise when there are related criminal and civil fraud proceedings running contemporaneously. She has lectured on injunctive relief in civil proceedings.
Family, Children & International Family
Financial RemediesA significant part of Sarah’s specialist practice is in Financial Remedies in the Family Courts. Sarah advises clients on all aspects of these proceedings and has a proven knowledge of complex trust arrangements, set aside applications, section 37 applications and the impact of bankruptcy in relation to one of the parties to the proceedings. She is known for her approachable manner and attention to detail.
POCA & Family Financial ProceedingsSarah has extensive experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims and is an established and well-recognised specialist in this niche area.
TOLATASarah is also able to advise and represent clients in complex TOLATA claims.
Business Crime & Financial Regulation
"She's a delight to work with and a determined counsel who is at ease in long and complicated cases."
Chambers and Partners 2020.
Complex Fraud & Financial CrimeSarah has specialised in complex fraud and financial crime since 2000. She is widely recognised and highly regarded for her work in this area having prosecuted and defended in several important cases brought by the SFO, the FCA and the CPS Specialist Fraud Division. As both leading counsel and led junior, Sarah is known for her diligence and meticulous preparation of these cases. She is adept at handling cases involving a large volume of paperwork and is quickly able to identify the critical issues for both a jury and a client. Sarah’s knowledge and experience includes cases involving Ponzi frauds, fraud on the revenue, money laundering, fraudulent trading and fraud within both the construction and education industries.
Financial RegulationSarah has represented disqualified directors and also has particular experience of successfully defending clients in prosecutions for specific and technical offences brought under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and Companies Act 2006.
Complex DisclosureSarah is regularly instructed to advise on complex disclosure issues, having advised the SFO, the Metropolitan and City of London Police Forces, the Attorneys General of Jersey and the Isle of Man and the OFT on disclosure problems and legal professional privilege.
Sarah speaks and writes regularly on her areas of expertise and is the author of the chapter ‘Fraudulent Trading and other frauds on creditors’ in Butterworths “Fraud: Law, Practice and Procedure”.Criminal Defence
In her criminal work, she is a well-respected jury advocate known for her experience of prosecuting and defending lengthy, complex, high-value fraud and money laundering cases. Sarah has a loyal following of leading solicitors and is regularly instructed to defend in cases brought by the SFO, the FCA and the CPS Specialist Fraud Division. She is renowned for her ability to master substantial and multifaceted issues.
Sarah is frequently instructed on behalf of Defendants in all areas of serious crime, particularly those with a financial or regulatory element.
Sarah also has particular experience of dealing with motoring matters and regularly receives direct access instructions in this field. In recent cases she has successfully defended corporate clients charged with offences contrary to Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act and individuals charged with allowing a vehicle to be used with no insurance. She regularly represents clients who are at risk of losing their licences under the totting up procedure.
Criminal Prosecutions - Private & Public
Private ProsecutionSarah has been instructed in private prosecution matters for several years, having begun prosecuting cases brought on behalf of the RSPCA. She now regularly undertakes private prosecution work (both prosecuting and defending) and is able to advise about all aspects of this area. She has related experience in the Divisional Court and before costs judges specifically in connection with private prosecution cases.
Sarah is on the exclusive Spotlight table of leading barristers recognised by Chambers & Partners conducting Financial Crime: Private Prosecution work.
“She can digest boxes of information and has a photographic memory!”
“Sarah will go out of her way to achieve life-changing results for her clients.”
Chambers and Partners 2023 - Financial Crime - Private Prosecutions.