Appellate Advocacy

Sarah has wide-ranging experience handling civil appeals involving tort, contract, statutory, administrative, and constitutional issues. Sarah has personally briefed and acted as lead counsel on dozens of appeals. She regularly argues in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and in Utah appellate courts. Her brief writing practice spans the entire U.S., focusing on amicus briefs on cutting-edge legal issues in cases pending before the U.S. Supreme Court and federal circuit courts.

Representative Appeals

Represented DRI Center for Law & Public Policy in authoring petition and merits stage amicus briefs in case involving scope of Article III standing in cases involving digital informational injuries, highlighting the serious “slippery slope” problems arising from affording standing to un-injured plaintiffs, including violations of the separation of powers – Laufer v. Acheson Hotels (2023)

Represented Atlantic Legal Foundation in co-authoring amicus brief in case involving composition of federal scientific advisory committee – Young v. EPA (2023)

Represented DRI Center for Law & Public Policy in authoring petition stage amicus brief in case involving whether federal district courts have authority to deny a stay of litigation pending an appeal of arbitrability – Coinbase v. Bielski (2023)

Represented appellants New York limited liability company and Utah subsidiary in appeal before Utah Court of Appeals arising from grant of summary judgment and subsequent denial of Rule 60 relief in case involving claims seeking to invalidate for lack of authority loan agreements with Utah hard money lender purportedly entered into by expelled member of LLC on behalf of the LLC – Cohen Braffits Estates Development v. Shae Financial Group, LLC (case pending for decision)

Represented appellant before Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in case arising from federal district court’s dismissal of first-party insured’s trial de novo complaint seeking underinsured motorist benefits following underinsured motorist arbitration – Corpron-Brown v. Nationwide Insurance 

Represented appellant before Idaho Supreme Court as pro hac vice counsel in appeal of summary judgment order and appeal of denial of Rule 60 relief in underinsured motorist case involving enforceability of State Farm’s “deciding fault and amount provision”, res judicata, equitable estoppel, and Idaho public policy on UM coverage arising from State Farm’s prosecution and settlement of subrogation suit against tortfeasor, successfully obtained reversal of trial court's orders – Christmann v. State Farm Insurance (2023)

Represented appellant in case involving Utah district court’s grant of Rule motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim in lawsuit alleging negligent hiring, supervision, breach of fiduciary duty – Aguila v. Planned Parenthood (2023)

Represented appellee and petitioner in appeals regarding product liability failure to warn claims arising from plaintiff’s ejection from a boat and injuries resulting propeller-contact injuries, including before the Utah Court of Appeals on the plaintiff’s appeal of summary judgment and as petitioner on writ of certiorari following Utah Court of Appeals’s reversal of district court’s summary judgment order, obtaining a discretionary writ of certiorari from Utah Supreme Court and favorable opinion reversing Utah Court of Appeals and remand for further trial court proceedings on renewed motion for summary judgment – Feasel v. Tracker Marine (2021)

Represented lessee of commercial property in multi-year dispute with two lawsuits and 3 appeals surrounding meaning of indemnification and insurance provisions in commercial lease agreement – Greyhound v. Utah Transit Authority (2015, 2019)

Represented amicus curiae American Council of Life Insurers in support of petitioner in case before Utah Supreme Court regarding liability for agents, employees, and licensees, and regarding apparent authority under the law of agency – Drew v. Pacific Life (2021)

Represented appellant before Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in appeal of preliminary injunction order issued in FTC civil enforcement action – FTC v. Consumer Defense, LLC (2019)

Represented boat manufacturer in admiralty appeal to Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals following district court’s denial of summary judgment in case involving Limitation of Liability Act and claims arising from ejection of minor passengers and amputation injuries sustained following being run over by boat driven by father on Lake Powell – Darland v. All-In Boat Rentals, Inc. (case settled on appeal) (2019)

Represented construction company as appellee in appeal of summary judgment in case involving construction defect claims and Utah’s statutory residential construction statute of repose – Tomlinson v. Douglas Knight Construction, Inc. (2019)

Represented a medical malpractice plaintiff in a post-trial appeal before Utah Supreme Court in a case involving the medical malpractice statute of limitation – Arnold v. Grigsby (2018)

Represented an officer of a local fire district in an appeal before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case involving the constitutionality of Utah’s prescription database statute – Pyle v. Woods (2017)

Represented Utah municipalities before the Utah Court of Appeals in appeals of summary judgment rulings in cases filed under the Utah Post-Conviction Remedies Act – Magallanes v. South Salt Lake City (2015), Binkerd v. South Salt Lake City (2015)

Represented a manufacturer of an asbestos-containing product in an appeal before Utah Supreme Court in a case involving a decedent’s heirs’ wrongful death claim – Riggs v. Georgia Pacific (2015)

Represented a criminal defendant in a pro bono appeal before the Utah Supreme Court addressing the indigent defendant’s right to funding for defense resources – State v. Rodriguez-Ramirez (2015)

Represented a slip-and-fall claimant in an appeal before the Utah Supreme Court arising from the grant of summary judgment to the defendant landowner – Hill v. Superior (2015)

Represented a manufacturer of an asbestos-containing product at Utah Court of Appeals in a claim involving alleged mesothelioma – Riggs v. Asbestos Corp., Ltd. (2013)

Represented small business before the Utah Supreme Court in claim against insurance company following major fire loss – Stone Flood Fire and Restoration v. Safeco (2011)

Represented a decedent’s estate and heirs in an appeal before the Tenth Circuit regarding the district court’s denial of summary judgment in a Section 1983 civil rights lawsuit – Cardall v. Hurricane City (case settled on appeal) (2012)

Represented family before Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and Utah Supreme Court in connection with separate appeals involving grant of summary judgment to defendants on family’s claims under Section 1983 and Utah constitution arising from wrongful removal of child based on false allegations of medical neglect by Utah Division of Child and Family Services – Jensen v. Cunningham (2011)

Represented a Utah municipality before the Utah Court of Appeals in a case involving alleged First Amendment retaliation arising from community member’s alleged protected speech – Doyle v. Lehi City (2012)

Represented a water conservancy district as appellee before the Utah Court of Appeals in claim involving alleged flood damage, and as petitioner on petition for writ of certiorari and certiorari proceedings before Utah Supreme Court obtaining reversal of Utah Court of Appeals and reinstatement of summary judgment – Jenkins v. Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District (2011)

Represented an animal-housing business before the Utah Court of Appeals in a case involving an alleged attack by dog – Waters v. Powell (2010)

Represented medical malpractice plaintiff on appeal from trial court’s order granting summary judgment on issue surrounding out-of-state tolling of medical malpractice statute of limitations – Arnold v. Grigsby (2008)

Represented many law enforcement officers and Utah municipalities in civil rights appeals involving alleged excessive force, wrongful detention, and substantive and procedural due process claims arising under state and federal law – Amundsen v. Jones (reversing district court’s denial of summary judgment on qualified immunity) (2008), Clark v. Edmunds (2008), Pearson v. Callahan (2007) (co-author on petition for certiorari)