Sarah is a specialist regulatory lawyer with extensive experience of supporting clients in relation to enforcement and compliance.
Sarah’s health and safety practice involves advice in the aftermath of workplace accidents and representation in the course of investigations and prosecutions by the Health and Safety Executive and local authorities nationwide. She advises on food safety and hygiene matters, including use-by dates and pest control, and on food labelling requirements where she supports the bringing of new products to market. Sarah is also experienced in relation to consumer protection, product safety and the management of age-restricted sales. In respect of advertising and marketing, she advises on the compliance of copy with the Advertising Codes and on complaints taken up by the Advertising Standards Authority. In her non-contentious practice, she advises on the adequacy of policies and procedures and provides training on responsibility and accountability in the operational line.
Sarah advises across sectors with a particular focus on retail and food manufacturing businesses.
Sarah has Higher Rights of Audience in the Criminal Courts and appears regularly in the Magistrates’ Courts and at Coroner’s Inquests into work-related deaths.
Expertise
- Regulatory investigations
- Prosecutions
- Enforcement notices
- Health and safety
- Food safety and hygiene
- Food labelling
- Consumer protection
- Product safety and liability
- Age-restricted sales
- Trading standards
- Contentious environmental issues
- Transport and Traffic Commissioner issues
- Advertising and marketing
- Advertising Standards Authority investigations
- Coroner’s Inquests
Experience
Retail
- Acted for William Hill in the successful defence of criminal charges arising from the collapse of a shop sign and the resulting death of a pedestrian
- Represented a leading UK retailer in prosecutions relating to food safety and hygiene offences
- Successfully defended prosecutions concerning the sale of age-restricted products to minors
- Acted for a UK manufacturer prosecuted for consumer protection breaches related to the sales process
- Advised retail and manufacturing businesses on trade issues relating to Brexit
- Advised retail businesses on Covid-19 restrictions and prohibitions
Food & Beverage
- Acted for a well-known food business in safety prosecutions brought as a result of accidents in the retail and distribution environments
- Represented a major supermarket group at Coroner’s Inquests touching on the work-related deaths of employees and members of the public
- Advised a global brewing business on labelling and packaging requirements relating to alcoholic drinks and on low-alcohol/alcohol-free brands
- Advised on nutrition and health claims made on food and drink
- Supported food businesses facing investigation by the ASA in relation to the CAP Codes
- Acted in relation to the CMA investigation into pricing practices in the groceries market
Other
- Acted for operators prosecuted for water pollution and trade effluent offences
- Advised transport operators under investigation by the Traffic Commissioner
Please note: The experience list above may include examples of work completed prior to joining Keystone Law.
Recognition
Recognised in Chambers UK (2022-2024) for Health and Safety
“Sarah is a leading health and safety lawyer with exceptional knowledge of the law.” Chambers UK 2024
“She can manage a team extremely well on a case and stays calm and unflappable under pressure.” Chambers UK 2024
Recognised in The Legal 500 as a Next Generation Partner for Employment: Health and Safety (2022-2024)
“She is very impressive and very experienced.” Chambers UK 2023
“Sarah is one of the most experienced health and safety lawyers. She is exceptional with clients. Her written work and attention to detail is fantastic.” Chambers UK 2022
“She has a real specialism and experience in the health and safety space. She is a detailed lawyer who is very solid and committed to her clients.” Chambers UK 2022
“Sarah Taylor is one of the outstanding regulatory lawyers of her generation” The Legal 500 2022
“Sarah is in my view the pre-eminent solicitor for all types of regulatory work – food, health and safety, criminal product liability and so on. She is vastly experienced, has immense commercial judgement and is an absolute pleasure to work with.” The Legal 500 2022
“Sarah Taylor is simply one of the best health and safety and food safety / retail lawyers in the country. Very experienced, a loyal list of clients and she is very impressive at strategy and case management. Very personable and calm. Outstanding operator in this field.” The Legal 500 2022
Career
Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 2000. Prior to joining Keystone law in 2022, she worked at the following firms:
- Eversheds
- Pinsent Masons
- Clarion