20 Under 40: Sarah Brouwer
Meet Sarah Brouwer, 38, senior legal counsel at Trudell Medical Limited and one of our 20 Under 40 Class of 2024 recipients
AFTER BEGINNING HER legal career in private practice with a focus on family and child protection law, Sarah Brouwer fulfilled a professional goal and made the jump to the corporate world, beginning as assistant corporate counsel for GoodLife Fitness and along the way working for London firms Carfax Canada and Zomaron. Today, as senior legal counsel at Trudell Medical Limited, she manages global commercial contracts supporting the manufacture and distribution of life-changing medical devices across 100-plus countries. Passionate about community involvement, she actively contributes through volunteerism, fundraising and local events, striving to create meaningful, positive change both professionally and personally.
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What would you say is your single biggest business achievement, and why?
The one thing that continues to stick with me is my transition from private practice to in-house work and my advancement from a junior in-house lawyer to senior legal counsel at Trudell Medical Limited. I had to adapt quickly, learn the intricacies of working within a business, and demonstrate value, beyond just my legal expertise, by contributing to business strategy and decision-making. The journey has been extremely challenging at times, but also extremely rewarding, and I’m proud of the risks I took and the perseverance it required to reach this point.
“Being a lawyer is more akin to working in customer service than most people realize… much of my job revolves around business acumen, emotional intelligence and people skills”
What’s one unexpected thing you like to tell people about your job?
Being a lawyer is more akin to working in customer service than most people realize. Lawyers are often perceived as logical and analytical — which we are, don’t get me wrong! — but at least from my experience, and especially in the in-house world, much of my job revolves around business acumen, emotional intelligence and people skills. While law may be rooted in logic and precedent, its practise is deeply human.
When you’re not working, what kind of things are you passionate about?
In this incredibly busy world, I intentionally dedicate time for my family and friends. Carving out time on my weekends to spend time with family and friends gives me a chance to connect with the people I care about most, whether it’s a simple dinner together or a coffee date to catch up on life — those moments mean everything, and we often take them for granted.
What’s in your earbuds: music or a podcast — and what are you listening to?
Definitely music. I’m a classically trained pianist, and I need music in my life. When I’m working from home, I usually have classical music on in the background — I find it helps me focus. At the gym, it’s usually house music or EDM, and for road trips, it’s an assorted mix of early 2000s hip-hop, Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll and Post Malone. 
Interview by Kieran Delamont