Sarah Dureau

Sarah joined Parker Bullen as a Partner leading our Witney office which opened in October 2022. Working alongside Niki Coombes, Sarah is able to offer individuals, businesses and families in Witney and the wider Oxford area support in a number of areas including Employment Law, Family Law and advice for those in the Armed Forces, with a specialist knowledge of Armed Forces Pensions being a recommended adviser for the Forces Pension Society.

Those from the military community find Sarah’s unique insight from her previous experience serving in the Armed Forces and working within the Ministry of Defence invaluable. She is able to advise on any Service legal problem whether that is a civil dispute, conduct issue, Service Complaint, Discipline and Administrative Action, Armed Forces Compensation or Family matter, such as a divorce or separation.

In addition to her military and Family work, Sarah also has a keen interest and vast experience in acting for employers and employees in both contentious and non-contentious Employment Law matters, ranging from contracts, policies and processes, litigation in Employment Tribunal, as well as employee relations concerns and Settlement Agreements.

Civil Litigation is also an area of practice for Sarah, in particular landlord and tenant, contractual disputes and rights of way.

Sarah's objective when working with her clients is to do what is best as efficiently and cost effectively as possible. She is passionate about communicating clearly to ensure that her clients understand the process and their options at all times so that they are able to make decisions more easily and understand what is happening at all stages of their case. She strives to build a rapport with her client from the outset, to understand their needs and be supportive and friendly so that we can work in cooperation. She is always honest with clients, giving clear advice while being frank and managing expectations as necessary. Sarah considers it essential for her client’s best interests to be courteous in all communications with other parties, even when they may not be reciprocating, but to be firm and robust as necessary nevertheless. She takes great pride in her work and works hard for every individual client in every individual aspect of their case to ensure that they get the best possible outcome.

Sarah - It was a pleasure to work alongside you. Your knowledge of the relevant case law will continue to be very helpful to me. You have always been friendly, approachable, efficient, tenacious and worked calmly through a potentially difficult situation to reach a good outcome.

Firstly I’d just like to say a massive thank you for your help and guidance throughout, often providing advice you knew I wouldn’t like, but had to be told. I feel if more solicitors were like you, a lot more settlements would finish in a more harmonious manner. Throughout you were spot on and ultimately we finished pretty much where you said some 2 years previous!

Representations made on a Major Admin Action process recommending demotion of Warrant Officer - I have no doubt that this outcome was due to your handling of this case on my behalf. I wish to take this opportunity to send my sincere thanks and best wishes to you.

Having completed her law degree, Sarah first trained as a barrister and was called to the Bar in 1988, but she went on to practice in a solicitors’ firm in West Wales, qualifying as a Solicitor in 1991. From there, in 1996, she joined the Directorate of Legal Services for the Royal Air Force and spent 16 years travelling the world and providing legal advice to individuals, the chain of command, the RAF, MOD and NATO. This included defending soldiers in the police station around the world and in the Court Martial, while based in Germany; prosecuting with the RAF from the UK; running a legal office in Northern Ireland and in Cyprus; being the RAF lead in MOD on the development of legislation from 2002 – 2007 (Armed Forces Act 2006 and all associated regulations, Principal lead for Service Complaints and Summary Discipline provisions); Deputy Head of the NATO AFSOUTH Legal office in Naples, Italy, covering the Balkans, Nato Training Mission in Iraq and Partnership for Peace.

Sarah ended her RAF career at the rank of Wing Commander, as the Training and Continuous Improvement Officer in the (tri-service) Service Prosecuting Authority. Following this, she worked as a Consultant for our firm for almost 2 years and then joined another local firm in their Witney office. She was a Partner there until 2022 when she returned to us as a Partner to set up and run our Witney office and Armed Forces department.

When reflecting on her role, Sarah relishes in the support she receives from her team around her, in particular her assistant Niki Coombes, who make the job easier and a pleasure. The firm values and supports all of our staff at every level. Everyone is part of the team and as important as all others in the firm and they are made to feel it. There is a genuine and sincere wish to ensure that work is pleasant and enjoyable and that people enjoy working here. Staff are listened to and heard, with many changes being implemented due to staff feedback. Sarah loves that she is trusted to do her job how she wants, with agile working and policies that support decision making and commitment. This trust in staff to do their job leads to a contented and productive workforce and, as a result, supported and contented clients.

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her teenage children, listening to them play music and sing and generally sharing their enjoyment in life. She also enjoys life with her husband and friends who she likes to visit and socialise with a lot. She likes experiencing other cultures and food and enjoys cooking. Sarah is also a keen reader and enjoys her kindle, when she has time, as well as her dog, Clover.