Sara’s practice focuses on a wide range of business and complex commercial litigation arising from contractual relationships and agreements, real estate and commercial transactions, loans and other debtor-creditor relationships, commercial landlord-tenant relationships, shareholder/partner/member disputes, fraud, business torts, civil rights matters, municipal liability, and personal injury torts.
Sara has two decades’ worth of experience in all aspects of dispute resolution, ranging from counseling clients in pending or threatened disputes, to state and federal court proceedings and trials. Sara has extensive experience in private mediation and arbitration matters, as well as appellate advocacy. She has also represented chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees as general and special counsel, as well as creditors and other interested parties in various bankruptcy proceedings.
Sara is well respected in the Arizona legal community. She served as President of her Inn of Court, and has been recognized by her peers earning a Best Lawyers in America ranking for Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Bankruptcy, Phoenix Magazine’s Top Lawyer recognition for Commercial Litigation, and has been selected a Southwest Super Lawyer in Business Litigation.
Prior to joining Thorpe Shwer, Sara was a Partner at Zwillinger Greek Knecht & Gibson, PC and at Witthoft Derksen, P.C. Before entering private practice, Sara served as a law clerk to the Honorable James B. Sult (Ret.) of the Arizona Court of Appeals, Division I.
Sara is an Arizona native, having grown up in Casa Grande. In her free time, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband, Ted, her two sons, and her rescue dog, Lillie. She loves to cook, try new restaurants, travel, and read. Sara is also a longtime, long-distance runner and has completed many half marathons and one full marathon.
Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona
- Arizona Supreme Court
Education
- The University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, J.D.
- Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law, Senior Managing Editor
- The University of Arizona, College of Agriculture, School of Family & Consumer Science, M.S., Summa cum Laude
- Pepperdine University, B.A. in Psychology, Magna cum Laude
Professional Affiliations
- Arizona Bankruptcy American Inn of Court, Barrister
- Special Events Committee, Chair 2019 to 2021
- Vice President, 2021 to 2022
- President, 2022 to 2023
- Past President, 2023 to 2024
- Arizona State Bar, Member
- Maricopa County Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section Board Member 2018 to 2019
- Arizona Women Lawyer’s Association, Member
- Federal Bar Association, Member
Honors and Awards
- Best Lawyers in America®, Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Bankruptcy
- Phoenix Magazine’s Top Lawyer Honoree, Commercial Litigation
- Southwest Super Lawyer®, Business Litigation
Representative Cases
- Braillard v. Maricopa County, et al., 224 Ariz. 481, 232 P.3d 1263 (Ct. App. 2010)
- ABCDW LLC v. Banning, 241 Ariz. 427, 388 P.3d 821 (Ct. App. 2016)
Community Activities
- Boys Team Charity, Coach, 2021 to Present
- Vice President Communications, 2022 to 2023
- Brophy Mothers Guild, Brophy College Preparatory, Lifetime Member
- Central United Methodist Church, Board of Trustees, 2013 to 2015
- Team in Training, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 2013 to 2016
- Raise the Bar Against Cancer, Team Captain, 2015