Rising Star: Sarah Lusher

Sarah Lusher is a counsel in Conyers’ corporate practice, specialising in insurance and reinsurance regulatory and transactional matters.

She studied law in Brisbane, Australia and was first called to the bar in Queensland in 2013. Shortly after, she returned home to Bermuda to join Conyers and was called to the Bermuda Bar in 2015. Her current practice includes all aspects of corporate law, with a particular focus on insurance law and regulation and AML/ATF compliance of regulated entities.

Can you start by telling us what inspired your career?

At the start of my post-secondary education, I was fortunate enough to attend the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Being among so many true academics reaffirmed my love for critical thinking and problem solving; and, as my career developed, I discovered that quite a number of the global political projects that piqued my curiosity were given birth in the legal sector.

So, after finishing my undergraduate degree, I decided to pursue my juris doctor in law. When I started my training at Conyers, I didn’t have a clear idea of which practice area I wanted to pursue, but having the opportunity to work closely with and be mentored by our (now) dynamic head of insurance, Sophia Greaves, became instrumental in shaping my career trajectory and solidifying my interest in insurance.

What elements of your career do you enjoy most and why?

I love the interpersonal aspect of our job.

I am a big-picture, solution-oriented person, and so for me, satisfaction comes from finding new and creative ways to effectively and efficiently achieve results for clients – and since quite a number of them are actually here in Bermuda, it is even more rewarding to be able to engage in person and interact with general counsels, management teams and boards of directors – not to mention the BMA – throughout the process.

Can you share an example of a challenge you overcame that significantly shaped your career trajectory?

In 2017, I was asked to take on a “straightforward” incorporation and licensing application for a new client on island (famous last words). As the matter progressed, it came to light that the proposed business of the company would result in it being designated a “non-licensed person” for the purposes of the Proceeds of Crime (Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2008, which necessitated the adoption by the company of AML/ATF compliant policies and procedures. At the time, this was uncharted territory as it was really only banking institutions that were being dragged into the full obligations of the regime in Bermuda, which meant I was drafting these documents from scratch.

Over the course of a year, I worked closely with the BMA’s regulatory team in order to get these policies and procedures over the line. It was a laborious task, but one that positioned me as a specialist in AML/ATF compliance and regulation, which ended up dovetailing neatly into my then-fledgling insurance practice.

What are your career ambitions? And how will you work to achieve them?

Generally speaking, my aim is always to continue honing my legal skills, servicing my clients to the highest standard and becoming a good role model for incoming students and trainees.

More specifically, though, since my initial foray into the AML/ATF regulatory practice in 2017, I have seen this space grow exponentially in Bermuda across all licensed sectors – and I have become quite passionate about promoting this area of expertise at Conyers.

With various updates to the legislative and regulatory compliance framework of a number of regulated sectors and licence categories in recent years, more and more companies are requiring legal expertise in this area, and I am excited to develop this specialty within the regulatory practice at Conyers.

How do you stay motivated and continue to learn in such a dynamic sector?

I think this question almost answers itself! Because the insurance sector is ever-changing and adapting to both local and global developments, you have no choice but to continue to learn and keep up for fear of being left behind.

There is a palpable sense of investment in the growth of this sector in Bermuda, which is exciting and inspires me to continue to remain up to speed on any and all developments and touchpoints in the industry, whether they are legislative in nature or trends in the market.

How do you think younger professionals can influence the future direction of Bermuda’s market?

By positioning themselves as leaders in their field of expertise.

There is so much untapped opportunity in the industry in Bermuda for potential growth, whether it is with the service providers or in the market, and younger professionals should grab it with both hands.

I recently attended the BILTIR conference, and one of the comments made on a panel of chief executives was that they were struggling to find talented young people who are interested in the life insurance space, especially in Bermuda. I think this is a great example of an opportunity for the next generation of Bermudians to get in at the ground floor of these well-established and thriving Bermuda companies and grow their skills over time to fill that void.

Do your research, get involved, be strategic when choosing a career path, work really hard and above all, develop mental fortitude – because the day you plant the seed is not the day you pick the fruit – and you need time and pressure to grow.

How have you contributed to innovation or new ways of working in your organisation?

I must admit, I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to the latest and greatest tech (still holding onto my iPhone SE and the home button), but I do think (and have for some time) that the way that we interact with clients and other service providers has and will continue to change – and so must our engagement strategies. By necessity, the legal profession has evolved and leveraged a number of new and exciting technological resources that have developed in the past few years in order to move with the times, from which I think we have had great success.

When thinking about leadership, what attributes do you most admire and hope to hone as your career continues?

I have been very lucky in my career to have had some phenomenal mentors, especially at Conyers, and from them I have learned that leadership is about enthusiasm, investment and connectedness, which are all attributes that I try to engender on a daily basis.

As a lawyer, I think you need to be genuinely fascinated and enthusiastic about the work you are doing in order to impart a spirit of interest in the (sometimes dry) subject matter we are engaged with.

Being a leader also means actively mentoring and developing team members to reach their full potential, which is strongly supported and visible at Conyers. The importance of connectedness is something that has become more recently apparent to me. There is undeniable value in being able to lead from the front, but also from the middle. In recent years, the senior partners have actively focused on the need for connectedness, which has fostered a robust spirit of teamwork and helped our team thrive.

In what ways do you think Bermuda can maintain or strengthen its global relevance in re/insurance?

The work that the BMA and the numerous industry associations undertake on a regular basis to ensure a continued confidence in Bermuda’s ability to guide the industry in the future is key – whether that means remaining at the forefront of AI regulation, early adoption of legislation and regulatory regimes or engagement with onshore regulators, continuous movement and adaptation are necessary to maintain progress and avoid stagnation in a changing world – and I think we do this well.

Click here to read the digital edition of Rising Stars 2025

Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.