Since she joined Boardman Clark, Sarah has been conducting all facets of civil litigation in state and federal courts, including pleadings, discovery, motions, trials and appeals. She focuses primarily on commercial and insurance litigation, including contract disputes, tort claims and employment law. Her practice includes defense of class actions and multi-district litigation. In addition, she has handled legislative redistricting controversies.

Sarah is adept at federal court procedure and frequently serves as local counsel or lead counsel for matters venued in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.

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Admitted to Practice

  • Wisconsin State Courts
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
  • United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (General Bar)
  • United States District Court for the District of Colorado
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Representative Work

  • Disputes regarding parties’ rights and obligations under various contracts
  • Enforcement of arbitration agreements, including whether arbitration agreement was procured by misrepresentation
  • Disputes between health plans, providers and third-party administrators, including claims involving ERISA
  • Banking disputes involving contracts, including participation agreements, claims of misrepresentation and breach of contract
  • Termination of agent agreements, including issues of trade secrets and computer fraud
  • Employment agreements, including noncompete or restrictive covenants
  • Employment litigation, including claims of overtime, sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation
  • Disputes involving probate proceedings and trusts
  • First party insurance disputes
  • Dealership claims under Chapter 218 of the Wisconsin Statutes
  • Preliminary injunctions
  • Disputes involving open records and open meetings laws
  • Redistricting of state senate and assembly districts

Judicial Clerkships

  • Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Patience D. Roggensack, Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District IV, 1999-2000

Honors & Recognition

  • Recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
    • Commercial Litigation, 2015-Present
    • Litigation - Labor and Employment, 2015-Present
    • “Women in Law” list, 2017
  • Named to The Wisconsin Super Lawyers®: Rising Stars, 2006-2010
  • Named to The Wisconsin Super Lawyers®, 2014-Present
  • Fellow of the Wisconsin Law Foundation
  • Women in the Law Award, Wisconsin Law Journal, 2013
  • The Business Forum Athena Award Nominee, 2010

See our disclaimer regarding third-party awards.

Presentations, Publications, & Contributions

  • Author, “COVID-19 Impacts on CLE Reporting: Be Aware of the Temporary Rules,” State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section Blog, October 10, 2020
  • Author, “Cattau and Pleading Standards: Comments from the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section Blog, November 12, 2019
  • Author, “Appellate Filers Beware: Electronic Changes to the Record On Appeal” State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section Blog, November 29, 2018, reprinted in State Bar of Wisconsin InsideTrackTM, December 5, 2018
  • Speaker, “Recent Changes to the Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure,” State Bar Annual Meeting, June 22, 2018
  • Author, “The Rules They Are A-Changin,’” State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section Blog, February 20, 2018
  • Author, “Objections to Form, Foundation, and Instructions Not to Answer: Do You Know the Deposition Rules?” Wisconsin State Bar Litigation Section Blog, May 15, 2017, Reprinted in Inside Track, June 7, 2017
  • Speaker, "The Attorney Client-Privilege in the Real World: Not as Broad as You Think," Dane County Bar Association, May 26, 2015
  • Author, Monthly column on various topics, Dane County Bar Association newsletter, June 2014-June 2015
  • Author, “Are Big Changes to the Federal Civil Rules on the Horizon?,” Western District Bar Association Newsletter, October 2013
  • Speaker, “The Civil Side of the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: An Emerging Tort in Business & Employment Litigation,” Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin, April 18, 2008
  • Speaker, “The Civil Side of the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act: An Employer’s Friend or Foe?” Dane County Bar Association, January 8, 2008
  • Author & Speaker, “New Federal Rules and Preservation of Electronically Stored Information,” April 2007
  • Co-author, “The Judicial Truth About Cats and Dogs,” Western District Bar Association Newsletter, April 2007
  • Author, “The Price of Asking Too Much,” Western District Bar Association Newsletter, February 2006
  • Author, “The Seventh Circuit, ‘Gradual Awareness’ and the Statute of Limitations: What Now?,” Western District Bar Association Newsletter, February 2005
  • Author, “Avoiding The Scathing Rebukes Of The Seventh Circuit: Pleading Diversity Jurisdiction,” Western District Bar Association Newsletter, December 2003
  • Author, “Cattau and Pleading Standards: Comments from the Wisconsin Supreme Court,” Wisconsin State Bar Litigation Section Blog, November 12, 2019
  • Author, “Update To ‘Appellate Filers Beware’: More Changes for Electric Records on appeal,” Wisconsin State Bar Litigation Section Blog, February 7, 2019
  • Author, “Appellate Filers Beware: Electronic Changes to the Record on Appeal,” Wisconsin State Bar Litigation Section Blog, November 29, 2018
  • Author, “The Rules They Are A-Changin’,” Wisconsin State Bar Litigation Section Blog, February 20, 2018

Professional Memberships

  • Wisconsin Law Foundation, Fellow
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
  • Diversity Law Institute, Member
  • Trial Law Institute, Member
  • The American Bar Foundation, Fellow
  • State Bar of Wisconsin Litigation Section, President
    • Judicial Council, Elected Member
  • Serves as the Wisconsin State Bar’s representative for Federal Rules of Practice, Procedure, and Evidence
  • American Bar Association, Litigation Section
  • James E. Doyle Chapter of the American Inns of Court, Master of the Bench
  • Dane County Bar Association, Past President and Current Board Member
  • Western District of Wisconsin Bar Association, Past President and Board Member
  • Western District Bar Association Pro Bono Fund, Inc., Past President and Board Member
  • Legal Association for Women, Past Member

Community Involvement & Board Memberships

  • Mount Holyoke Club of Madison, President
  • YWCA Board of Directors, Prior Treasurer, Secretary and Board Member
  • Leadership Greater Madison Alumni Association, Past Secretary and Board Member
  • Leadership Greater Madison, Madison Chamber of Commerce, Past Participant
  • Small Claims Assistance Program, Volunteer
  • State Bar of Wisconsin Mock Trial Tournament, Past Judge

Education

  • J.D., magna cum laude, University of Wisconsin Law School, 1998
    • Order of the Coif
    • University of Wisconsin Law Review
  • M.A., Public Affairs and Public Administration, Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 1998
  • B.A., cum laude, Political Science, Mount Holyoke College, 1992