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The University Western Australia Law School has conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws to Ms Sarah Beshar BJuris, LLB W.Aust, BCL Oxf, the first such honour since 2011.

Sarah Beshar (nee Jones) graduated from The University of Western Australia with a Bachelor of Jurisprudence in 1981 and a Bachelor of Laws (with first class honours) in 1982.  She was the first female President of the Blackstone Society (the Law student society) and a member of the first UWA international Jessup Moot team, the oldest and regarded worldwide as the most prestigious mooting competition for law students.

Sarah was the first recipient of the Robert Menzies Scholarship in 1984 studying the Bachelor of Civil Laws at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford.  After a brief time at Allen Allen & Helmsley in Sydney and Freshfields in London, she crossed the Atlantic to New York City and joined Davis Polk & Wardwell as an Associate in 1986 and has been a partner since 1994.

Focusing on the retail and consumer brand industries, Sarah has advised many companies and financial institutions across the country in seeking capital and floating shares to the public for the first time. This work culminated in the historic $23 billion initial public offering of General Motors (GM) in 2010.  She advises Fortune 500 companies on an array of legal matters, including corporate governance, disclosure and regulatory issues. She is the firm’s relationship partner for its important client, JPMorgan Chase, and has been recognized as a Leading Lawyer on a national and global basis.

As a senior partner, Ms. Beshar has taken a leading role at the firm in recruiting and developing young talent and on diversity issues. Last year she was named as a “Woman Worth Watching” by Profiles in Diversity.  Despite her outstanding success as a practicing lawyer, Sarah remains a strong team player who is modest about her accomplishments.  Her achievements are an inspiration to many young women in what remains a strongly male dominated profession.

Over a decade ago Sarah co-founded the UWA alumni and support organization “UWA in America Inc” in the United States which has grown to be a dynamic group.  She has also fulfilled this same role for Magdalen College, Oxford.  UWA in America has been successful in attracting significant donations for large projects including capital works at St George’s College.  Ms Beshar is a founding member and supporter of The Centenary Trust for Women at UWA.  Sarah and the Beshar family have donated funds to establish the annual Centenary Trust for Women Dr June Jones Masters Degree scholarship in Education, which encourages and assists women experiencing financial hardship to undertake the Master of Teaching at UWA.  She is a Patron of the Hackett Foundation, and a member of the UWA Business School Ambassadorial Council (North American Chapter).

Sarah and her husband Peter live in New York.  They have three children who as dual American and Australian citizens have each attended boarding school in Perth in their teenage years.  Ms. Beshar is extremely proud of and grateful for her Australian heritage and for her association with The University of Western Australia.  UWA in turn is very proud to claim her as one of its own and to afford her public recognition for her outstanding achievements and contribution to the law through her work in the private sector and for her sustained support for and promotion of the University both in Australia and the USA.

Media references

Marie Knights (Marketing and Communications Officer - Faculty of Law) (08) 6488 1375.