Sarah Birkett

About
Professional QualificationsBarrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of VictoriaSolicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales

EXPERIENCE

  • Conducting privacy audits for multinational businesses, including a global food and beverage manufacturer, pharmaceutical companies and a global consumer goods manufacturer. This involves assessing privacy and data handling practices through tailored questionnaires and workshops, and delivering practical, risk-based recommendations to enhance compliance and strengthen organisational data governance.
  • Advising a global reinsurer on management of a data leakage incident involving sensitive commercial and personal data. This included liaising with insurance and privacy regulators in multiple jurisdictions.
  • Advising a security and facility services company on its response to a ransomware attack involving large-scale data exfiltration. This included managing regulatory engagement and notification strategies, and supporting the client in responding to and resolving complaints from affected individuals, whilst seeking to minimise regulatory exposure and operational disruption.
  • Conducting privacy impact assessments for a range of private and public sector organisations, helping clients to identify and mitigate privacy risks arising from the introduction of complex technology solutions and new business processes.
  • Coauthoring a report with the British High Commission on the regulatory and procedural challenges associated with overseas transfers of personal data in the absence of an AustraliaUK adequacy decision. This included working with a range of government, industry and international stakeholders to assess current barriers and outline the potential impact of reform.
  • Advising a range of national and international clients on compliance with direct marketing and spam laws across omni-channel campaigns, including correspondence with the regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), following consumer complaints.
  • Conducting a bespoke cyber incident simulation workshop for a global pharmaceutical company.
  • Advising insurance companies on the application of Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) regulations relating to information security and operational resilience, and drafting and negotiating commercial terms relating to data sharing.
  • Providing advice on the application of privacy and surveillance laws including in respect of workplace surveillance schemes and to the State of Victoria in respect of its COVID-19 response.
Education
  • University of Nottingham (England), Bachelor of Laws (Hons), 2005
  • Nottingham Law School (England), Legal Practice Course, 2006

Seminars

Sarah regularly presents at external conferences and leads client training and briefings to boards of directors. Recent sessions and topics include:

  • WIN In-House Counsel Week 2026: Employment & privacy in the digital workplace: risks, reforms and practical strategies, 16 February 2026
  • Kaseya Connect Asia Pacific - Navigating Cyber Law and Compliance in 2025, 30 October 2025
  • WIN In-House Counsel Week 2025: Privacy and cyber – a new era, 20 February 2025
  • Payments Forum - Cyber Legal Assurance, 14 November 2024
  • Cyber Breach Simulation Workshop, 13 March 2024 (Brisbane), 9 May 2024 (Melbourne) and 23 November 2023 (Sydney)
  • WIN In-House Counsel Week 2024: Insights from the trenches - top tips for managing (and avoiding) cyber incidents, 22 February 2024
  • Webinar: Strengthening your organisation's cyber resilience, 23 October 2023
  • WIN In-House Counsel Week 2023: Data governance and cyber security – risk management for the digital age, 23 February 2023 (Melbourne) and 2 March 2023 (Brisbane)
  • WIN In-House Counsel Week 2021: The wandering workforce – cyber security and privacy, home offices, WHS and other employment law bear traps, 25 February 2021
  • WIN In-House Counsel Day 2020: Data breaches – a practical guide, 19 February 2020 (Brisbane) and 20 February 2020 (Melbourne)

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Law Society of England and Wales