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Sarah von Schmidt private client lawyer

Sarah is an experienced private client lawyer with a strong reputation for her work on trusts, wills and succession planning, and family constitution and governance issues. She builds deep and lasting relationships with clients, who value her genuine interest in and commitment to finding the right solution for them. 

Sarah leads the firm’s private client group and has a diverse practice spanning the private client sector. She has developed an unusually broad range of expertise in the field, with a special interest in trusts issues.

On trusts matters, Sarah acts for a range of trustees and beneficiaries, including those involved with significant onshore and international trusts, and associated with large corporations, substantial landed estates, family offices, wealthy individuals and families. Her experience advising both trustees and beneficiaries gives her a valuable perspective on the needs of all those involved.

Sarah acts for a wide range of family offices, family businesses, entrepreneurs and owner managers, wealthy families and individuals, and landed estates. Sarah supports clients on the issues critical to their long-term interests including governance and constitutions, succession planning, decision making and investments of all types. She regularly acts for entrepreneurs, owner managers, senior executives, wealthy individuals and families on a range of issues linked to holding and structuring wealth; such as private wealth planning, tax, philanthropy, wills and the transfer of wealth between generations.

Outside of her technical expertise, clients comment that Sarah’s great strengths are her empathy and personable approach. Her client relationships often see her supporting individuals and families through issues that affect multiple generations, and clients value her ability to communicate well at all levels. Much of her practice sees her work in close collaboration with her clients’ wider network of advisers, and with specialists across the firm in areas as diverse as property, reputation management, banking and employment. 

Sarah qualified as a solicitor in 1997.

     

Memberships & Accolades

"Sarah von Schmidt focuses her practice on matters relating to trusts, intergenerational tax and succession planning. She is well regarded for her work in the field." (Chambers HNW 2022 - Private Wealth Law)

Sarah is listed in the Private Client Global Elite 2022 directory. She is also ranked in the 2022 eprivateclient 50 most influential ranking.

Sarah is listed as a Recommended 2021, Tax and Trust lawyer in Spear's 500 Magazine 2021 edition.

She is acknowledged in the sector for the high quality of service she delivers for clients and has won a number of accolades including the Spear’s Award for Family Office Lawyers in 2016. She co-authored a chapter in Family Offices: The STEP Handbook for Advisers.

Testimonials

"Sarah von Schmidt is deeply experienced, knowledgeable and can juggle the complexities of various legal systems masterfully. Sarah is highly respected in our field by fellow lawyers and advisors, and inspires loyalty and gratitude in her clients. She also has a charismatic personal charm and talent for creating camaraderie and trust within the teams she leads." (Legal 500 2025)

"Sarah von Schmidt has super strong knowledge and client service." (Chambers HNW 2024)

"Sarah is intelligent and has a warmth to her that distinguishes her as an adviser. She leverages that to develop strong bonds with her clients, and her technical abilities are incredibly strong, which is a powerful combination." (Chambers HNW 2023)

"Sarah is very well regarded." (Chambers HNW 2023)

"Sarah is highly capable and co-operative, with an engaging personality." (Chambers HNW 2023)

Sarah is recognised as a Leading Individual for Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate in the Legal 500 2022 Guide.

"Sarah von Schmidt – intelligent and has a great deal of experience of trusts and succession. She is very personable and offers great support." (Legal 500 2022)

Sarah is ranked in Band 1 for Private Wealth Law in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide 2021.

"She is absolutely fantastic. I recommend her without hesitation. She is talented, bright and thoughtful. She is super." (Chambers HNW 2021)

"Sarah is an amazing lawyer and certainly at the top of my list of recommendations. She is clever, efficient and practical." (Chambers HNW 2021)

"She is incredibly technical but at the same time she is really user-friendly. She is excellent at handling technical issues." (Chambers HNW 2021)

"She is quite incredible. She has so much energy and knowledge, and she is so caring as well. She is a really good mixture of qualities that make you a wonderful lawyer. If she is your partner, you will be really well looked after." (Chambers HNW 2021)

"I have the highest regard for Sarah von Schmidt and the team at Farrer. The lawyers are a pleasure to deal with, technically strong and very sensitive to clients’ needs – they do not give cookie-cutter advice." (Legal 500 2021)

"Sarah von Schmidt is highly recommended, especially for her work on landed estates." (Legal 500 2021)

Sarah von Schmidt advises high net worth clients on trusts and succession planning. A source comments: "She is extremely impressive in leading a team of lawyers from various jurisdictions. She is deeply experienced and can juggle the complexities of various legal systems masterfully." Another interviewee notes: "She is incredibly experienced and knowledgeable. She is always a pleasure to work with as she has such a caring and inclusive manner." (Chambers HNW 2020)

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