Sarah Brewerton-Palmer

Business Litigation

Sarah frequently handles high-stakes complex commercial litigation on behalf of both plaintiffs and defendants, including disputes for breach of contract, business torts, breach of fiduciary duty, post-employment issues, and products liability. She has successfully resolved multi-million-dollar matters in federal court, state court, and arbitration.

Appellate Practice

Sarah has a broad range of appellate experience. She has successfully represented clients in state and federal appellate courts, including the United States Supreme Court. Her appellate work spans major contract disputes, state and federal constitutional claims, high-value insurance disputes, complex federal regulatory questions, and open records laws.

Constitutional Claims

Sarah has extensive experience with constitutional challenges against government action, including denials of due process, privacy infringement, and equal protection violations.

First Amendment & Media Law

Sarah regularly litigates First Amendment issues and represents news organizations and non-profits in public records litigation. She also defends clients against defamation claims and advocates for free speech rights through amicus curiae briefs.

Business Litigation

• Secured dismissal of claims against former CEO in suit alleging securities violations in connection with equity investment worth more than $50 million.
• Secured favorable settlement on behalf of pharmaceuticals manufacturer against claims alleging breach of contract, unfair competition, and tortious interference against a competitor.
• Defeated claims by two insurance companies seeking the repayment of millions of dollars in attorneys’ fees paid to defend the insureds.
• Successfully resolved a multi-million-dollar appraisal action against one of the largest cannabis companies in the U.S. on behalf of one of its founders.
• Won summary judgment on behalf of an LLC member, securing an award of nearly $100,000 in improperly withheld distributions and defeating the company’s claims to pay millions of dollars in contributions.

Appellate Work

• Won full affirmance from the Georgia Supreme Court of a preliminary injunction that stopped executions in the state of Georgia based on a breach-of-contract claim.
• Secured grant of a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court and won vacatur of the Eleventh Circuit’s rejection of a habeas corpus challenge.
• In the Georgia Court of Appeals, successfully overturned the trial court’s dismissal of an open-records action on sovereign immunity grounds.
• Established precedent in the Eleventh Circuit regarding an insurer’s ability to seek reimbursement of defense costs from an insured.

First Amendment, Open Records, & Constitutional Claims

• Obtained a preliminary injunction on behalf of a nonprofit canvassing organization to prevent enforcement of improper zoning regulations that violated the First Amendment.
• Secured a settlement including attorneys’ fees on behalf of a non-profit  organization against the Secretary of State of Georgia, resulting in complete reform to Georgia’s open records procedures.
• Won complete dismissal and award of attorneys’ fees in a defamation action brought against a lawyer for statements made while representing a client.
• Successfully settled an open-records dispute with the City of Atlanta on behalf of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV. That dispute ultimately led the Georgia Attorney General to pursue Georgia’s first criminal prosecution for violation of the Open Records Act.
• Favorably resolved a § 1983 lawsuit concerning a Georgia prison’s failure to provide meals adhering to an inmate’s religious beliefs.

• Best Lawyers in America: Appellate Practice, First Amendment Law, & Litigation – First Amendment
• On the Rise in Georgia Honoree – Southeastern Legal Awards, Daily Report and Law.com
• Super Lawyer, Business Litigation, Super Lawyers Magazine (since 2024)
• Rising Star in Business Litigation, Super Lawyers Magazine (2019–2023)

• President Emeritus, Georgia First Amendment Foundation
• Board of Directors, Georgia Resource Center
• Planning Committee, Annual Georgia Bar Media & Judiciary Conference
• Barrister, Lamar Inn of Court

• Barriers to Reproductive Health, presented at The Center for Access to Justice’s State of the South Conference
• Panelist, Gold Dome Legislative Preview, Georgia First Amendment Foundation Legislative Breakfast
• Panelist, Much Ado About Doxxing: Privacy, FOI, and Legislative Responses, presented at the National Freedom of Information Coalition’s National FOI Summit
• Speaker, The Ins and Outs of Ethics in Dealing with the Media While Handling Big Cases, presented at the State Bar of Georgia’s seminar on Handling Big Cases
• Restricting the Restrictive Covenant, American Bar Association
• Speaker, Post-Reed Sign Regulation for Municipalities, presented at the Georgia Municipal Association’s City Attorneys’ Virtual CLE
• Speaker, How to Keep Public Meetings Open in an Emergency, presented at the Georgia First Amendment Foundation’s Transparency Town Hall
• Speaker, The Accountant-Client Privilege, presented at the Georgia Society of CPAs annual Fraud & Forensic Accounting Seminar
• Speaker, Nuts and Bolts of Civil Appellate Practice: Drafting the Briefs, presented at the State Bar of Georgia’s annual Appellate Practice Section CLE

• Jenner & Block LLP