Sally Mertens - Call: 2002
Summary:
Sally regularly appears in the Crown Courts for both Prosecution and
Defence solicitors on a wide range of offences from fraud to serious assault.
Her meticulous attention to detail and analytical but tactical approach
makes her a versatile advocate, able to shape the case in a way that is
attractive to the jury. With her previous experience in the city Sally
has a growing commercial and litigation practice, which is enabling her
to become a “first port of call” for advisory work for private
firms in London and the South East. Appointed to the “C” Panel
of the Attorney General’s list.
Notable Cases:
R –v- Tsoulfadis & others
Originally being led in 6 week multi-handed large drugs importation,
took over sole conduct of case after two weeks and secured a hung jury
with odds very much against.
Govt. of Portugal –v- Horvath
A contested Part I extradition hearing under the Extradition Act
2003.
Simon Hayman-Goldsmith
Successfully defended a claim for costs in the High Court prior
to the continuation of proceedings in a fraud allegation.
R v Jacqueline Pauley
Successful appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal in 2004.
R –v- Gill
Successfully defended a private instruction in an allegation of
careless driving involving the alleged mowing down of a 6 year old
child.
Education & Professional Experience:
1986 – 89 Bush Davies Arts Educational School, West Sussex; trained as a professional ballet dancer and qualified as a teacher with the Institute of Teachers of Dance (ISTD)
1990 – 91 Professional ballet dancer with various companies including the Royal Ballet Company, and the Braunschweig Ballet Companie, West Germany. Retired due to injury.
1991 – 94 Royal Mail Letters. PA to the Delivery Area Manager for South of England until Sep 92. Customer Services Officer thereafter. Dealt with disciplinary hearings, internal fraud investigations and all types of customer complaints/enquiries.
1994 – 96 Whilst on sabbatical for the birth of her daughter she undertook the examinations of the Institute of Legal Executives at night school.
1996 – 2000 Business Law LLB Hons
Commendation from Nicholas Grief, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law/door
tenant at 3 Paper Buildings, for achievements at the Law Debenture
Trust Corporation during the third year of the degree course.
1sts in Equity & Trusts, Land Law, Criminal Law, Mooting, Corporate
Finance, Corporate Law & Governance and Commercial Property.
1998 – 99 Placement with the Law Debenture Trust Corporation p.l.c. She reported directly to the company directors and worked with the following law firms; Clifford Chance, Linklaters & Alliance, Freshfields, Herbert Smith, Allen & Overy and Norton Rose. She reviewed and commented upon documentation such as offering circulars, legal opinion, trust deeds and agency agreements, for all types of issues listed on the London Stock Exchange or the European capital markets. She worked on some of the most innovative financial structures which were reported in the financial press at the time, for example, using the trust mechanism to facilitate the most tax efficient ways of operating in business and securitisation of assets in order to release/raise funds to enable established businesses to invest in new areas. Towards the end of her placement with the company she had responsibility for her own deals and as a result of a personal recommendation by a Senior Partner at Clifford Chance, was invited for interview at Clifford Chance.
Apr – Sep 99 Litigation Support to the Senior Litigation Partner
at Aldridge & Brownlee Solicitors. She conducted hearings as agent
for various UK solicitors, on behalf of their corporate clients and
successfully negotiated compensation and costs with various large insurance
companies. Successfully mediated between the Treasury Solicitor, the
Planning Department of Bournemouth Borough Council and the leaseholders
of residential premises to achieve compliance with planning conditions
which had been imposed when the original planning permission had been
granted, and requirements under the Road Traffic Act 1988, but with
minimum expenditure. Conducted successful mediation between a private
individual and a nursing home run by Social Services in respect of
fees payable for a resident. Mediated between an estate agent and the
owner of commercial premises to establish the terms and conditions
of a commercial lease.
2000 – 2001 Inns of Court School of Law; Postgraduate Diploma
in Law. Undertook a number of mini-pupillages. Shadowed Gavin Argent
of Westgate Chambers who is an accredited mediator.
2001 – 2002 Employed as an officer of the bank and legal adviser on the unsecured debt team at Deutsche Bank, London. Her remit was to advise on trustee matters arising out of issues on the LSE and European Capital Markets. Involved in advising and facilitating the mergers of various Japanese banks and specifically tasked to manage the financial and legal implications for the bank throughout the mergers. Again, she worked with the magic circle law firms; predominantly Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance. Official signatory for Bankers Trust.
2002 JP Morgan Chase in the Corporate Institutional Trusts and Fiduciary Area again advising on documentation and dealing with mainly with the European clearing banks, offshore and US based clients.
2002 – 3 Pupillage 9 – 12 Bell Yard, Chambers of Lord
Carlisle of Berriew.
Worked on predominantly Customs & Excise, prosecution and defence
fraud cases, VAT fraud, accountancy led fraud and other cases involving
fraudulent trading. She was able to draw helpfully on her trustee and
banking experience to undertake financial analysis of documentation.
She also assisted on a multi-handed murder defence at the Bailey.
2003 3rd 6 months pupillage at Chambers of Clive Nicholls, 3 Raymond
Buildings.
Languages:
Speaks reasonably fluent French and German.
Interests:
Cycling, fencing, horse riding.
