Sarah Charles Wright: Pioneering Attorney Helps Healthcare Professionals Succeed

It’s not often you meet a real pioneer. But it wasn’t that long ago that Sarah Charles Wright was the first paralegal allowed to sit in front of the federal bench in Lexington, as her firm represented defendants in multiple high profile white collar criminal cases. That experience, and some family encouragement, inspired her to become a lawyer herself.

Today, Sarah Charles focuses her practice on corporate law and the healthcare industry, a complex field that is more critical today than ever, as we face the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and of providing healthcare for all who need it. “Healthcare law is an interesting legal field, because it’s constantly changing to keep pace with advances in medicine, technology, health care policy and evolving models for delivering care.”

“Working with a client on a project from start to finish is my favorite part of being an attorney. I really enjoy the process of taking the client’s big picture for a project, figuring out the details and helping them work through those details.” — Sarah Charles Wright

When she finished college, Sarah Charles was still exploring what she wanted to do for her career. Three of her uncles were attorneys and convinced her to try it, so she went to paralegal school and got a job at a small litigation firm in Lexington as their first paralegal. She organized cases, analyzed discovery, interviewed witnesses, sat in on depositions, and helped with trial preparation.

During her two years at the firm, she assisted the attorneys in federal court during lengthy jury trials—the first paralegal allowed to do so in Lexington. “During trial, I had the privilege of observing the best trial lawyers in the region navigate difficult constitutional and evidentiary issues. I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer, and the attorneys I worked for told me I should go to law school–so I did.”

Her current practice specializes in helping entrepreneurs, small businesses, and healthcare entities stay compliant and achieve their goals. “Working with a client on a project from start to finish is my favorite part of being an attorney. I really enjoy the process of taking the client’s big picture for a project, figuring out the details and helping them work through those details. More often than not, that means finding a way to accomplish the client’s goal that both complies with applicable regulations and makes practical sense for the client’s operations. I love working this out and reducing it all to a written agreement the client understands and is comfortable signing.”

Sarah Charles is also dedicated to helping women in difficult situations get a fresh start in life. She is a founding Director and now serves as a member of the Advisory Board and the Program Committee for The Well of Lexington. She works directly with women in The Well’s residential recovery program who have survived sexual and other severe trauma and substance abuse.

Helping clients in a legal and ethical way is what’s most important for this pioneering attorney. “My clients are smart, community-minded professionals whose primary focus is doing what’s best for their patients, clients and employees. I’m proud to provide the help they need to reach their goals.”

Questions about healthcare or corporate law? Sarah Charles has been named to the 2021 U.S. News Best Lawyers in America® in Healthcare Law. She has extensive experience in this area, and is happy to help. Contact her at 859.255.8581, or swright@sturgillturner.com.