Sarah Gaines

Profile:

Sarah is a Partner and head of our Commercial Property team.

She has more than 25 years’ experience advising clients from a range of sectors and joined Brachers in 1999.

Sarah is once again ranked in the Chambers UK 2026 legal directory for both Real Estate and Agriculture & Rural Affairs in the South of England. She is also named as a ‘Leading Partner’ in the Legal 500 2026 directory. Sarah has been recognised in two practice areas this year, retaining her ranking in Commercial Property and gaining new recognition in Agriculture and Estates.

Sarah is a Board Director of Kent County Agricultural Society.

Sarah specialises in:

• Acquisition and disposal of freehold and leasehold commercial properties
• Conditional contracts
• Overage/clawback arrangements
• Promotion/option agreements
• Easements
• Royalty-linked rental arrangements
• Public sector and charities work
• Agricultural tenancies

Sarah is known for her practical approach. She builds strong, long-lasting relationships with clients, many of whom she has worked with for more than 20 years.

She also places great value on working as a team with other professionals to ensure clients have a strong, cross-disciplinary, professional team to provide a comprehensive strategy for completion of transactions.

Sarah is based at our Maidstone office.

• Sarah Gaines leads the real estate team with a focus on outcomes, ably supported by Ash Jilani, an excellent real estate lawyer. Interaction with clients is excellent from the whole team and when extra effort is required to hit the deadline they perform as a team.

  Legal 500 2025

• A level-headed and extremely supportive partner.

  Chambers & Partners 2024

• Sarah is very competent and gives the client time. In a world where she is very busy, she makes sure we get what we need.

  Chambers & Partners 2024

• Sarah Gaines has worked on a major promotion collaboration agreement showing an excellent depth of knowledge and the ability to find a practical way forward to an agreement. She is always aware that the aim is a signed agreement.

  Legal 500 2024

• Sarah Gaines has been our lead contact for a number of years now. We have established a very good relationship and through this have strengthened and deepened the relationship between us. Sarah is more than willing to ‘get into the weeds’ with cases, which serves to highlight the willingness and pride that she and Brachers take in their work.

  Legal 500 2024

• She provides outstanding advice on property matters.

  Client quote

• Responded to matters promptly and thoroughly.

  The Legal 500

• Sarah and her team were very professional, patient and dedicated. Sarah was helpful with explaining things we didn’t understand.

  Client quote

• The team take the time to get to know the business.

  Client quote