Sarah E. Stuart
Associate
Thinking forward. By tradition.
Contact
130 North Court Ave,
Memphis TN 38103
Memphis TN 38103
Tel: 901.524.5107
Fax: 901.524.5024
Practice Areas
Admitted to Practice
Tennessee, 2016
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2017
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, 2021
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2022
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2018
United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, 2017
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, 2021
United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, 2022
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, 2018
Bar Admissions
Memphis Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
American Bar Association
Tennessee Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
American Bar Association
Sarah (Smith) Stuart’s practice focuses primarily on employment litigation and counsel, in addition to commercial and business litigation.
Her experience includes cases involving employment discrimination, retaliation, harassment, restrictive covenants, wage and hour claims, civil rights, education, Title IX, and municipal defense. She also conducts internal investigations and advises clients on day-to-day employment matters, including restrictive covenants (for both individuals and employers), employee discipline, employee handbooks, and classification determinations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
Prior to joining Burch, Porter & Johnson, Sarah served as a law clerk to both the Honorable Bernice B. Donald (United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit) and the Honorable Sheryl H. Lipman (United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee). Sarah’s practice has an emphasis on cases pending in federal court, and she regularly has served as local counsel to work with firms bringing and defending cases in the Western District of Tennessee.
Sarah is a native of Texas and adopted Memphis as her home after attending Rhodes College. In addition to her legal practice, Sarah is involved in a variety of legal and community organizations, including serving on the Executive Board of Just City.
Representative Matters
- Participated as second chair in a $2M insurance coverage bench trial, resulting in a judgment resolving all claims in favor of the client, which was affirmed by the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
- Conducted multiple internal investigations for major healthcare organization regarding claims such as workplace misconduct, bullying, discrimination, and
- Regularly represents management in litigation involving disability, race, age, and sex discrimination and sexual harassment
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of major healthcare organization in a case alleging sex discrimination, race discrimination, and retaliation
- Obtained summary judgment in favor of client in lawsuit alleging premises liability regarding personal injury claim.
- Obtained a favorable judgment in a bench trial regarding employment dispute for educational client.
- Obtained favorable outcome for government client following bench trial under a specialized state statute.
- Provided pro bono assistance to individuals facing eminent domain lawsuits in 2021 by the Byhalia Pipeline project.
Education
- The University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (J.D., 2016), magna cum laude; Managing Editor, University of Memphis Law Review
- Rhodes College (B.A., 2013), cum laude
Professional Honors and Activities
- Named in Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch” (2025, 2024) – Commercial Litigation, Labor & Employment Law – Management, Municipal Law
- Best of the Bar, Commercial Litigation, Memphis Business Journal (2023)
- Rodney K. Smith Award for Excellence in Public Service (2016)
- CALI Award for Excellence in Jurisprudence, Intellectual Property, and Antitrust
- Dean’s Award for Excellence, Best Brief and Best Oral Advocate, Legal Methods
- Managing Editor, Vol. 46 University of Memphis Law Review
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Sheryl H. Lipman, United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee (2016-2017)
- Law Clerk to the Honorable Bernice B. Donald, United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (2017-2018)
Publications and Presentations of Note
- Co-presenter, “Citizens to Preserve Overton Park at 50 and the Byhalia Pipeline,” Federal Bar Association, Midsouth Chapter Annual Seminar (October 2021)
- Co-presenter, “Litigating a Federal Case from Start to Finish,” Memphis Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division Rookie Lawyer’s Series (October 2021)
- Co-presenter, “Byhalia Pipeline and Eminent Domain,” Leo Bearman, Sr. American Inn of Court Meeting (September 2021)
- Co-presenter, “Accommodation in the Workplace,” Memphis Bar Association Labor and Employment Seminar (December 2019)
- Presenter, “Keeping up with the Latest Sixth Circuit Trends,” Memphis Bar Association Corporate Counsel Seminar (November 2019)
- Presenter, “A Sixth Circuit Update: Trends of a Changing Court,” Memphis Bar Association Buy-the-Hour Seminar (July 2019)
- Regular contributor, BPJ Your Business & the Law: A Labor & Employment Newsletter (Monthly newsletters can be found by going to www.bpjlaw.com/firm/newsletters)
- Author, “Your Employee Gets Arrested: Now What?” BPJ Labor & Employment Newsletter, (April 2019)
- Author, “Responding to a Data Breach,” BPJ Labor & Employment Newsletter, (February 2019)
- Author, “A Preview of Upcoming Supreme Court Workplace Issues,” HR Professionals Magazine, (November 2018)
- Author, “Remembering Dr. King’s Last Legal Battle,” JUDICATURE Vol. 102 No. 2 (Summer 2018)
- Author, Note, No Safe Harbors: Examining the Shift from Voluntary Treatment Option to Criminalization of Maternal Drug Abuse in Tennessee, 46 U. MEM. L. REV. 203 (2015)
- Author, Case Comment, Balancing the Focus on Foreseeability: Cullum v. McCool & Tennessee’s Test for Business Liability for Third Party Acts, 45 U. MEM. L. REV. (2015)
Community Involvement
- Board Member, Just City (2019-present)
- Board of Directors, Federal Bar Association Mid-South Chapter
- Fellow, New Memphis Institute (Spring 2022)
- Legal team, Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP)
