Sara O. Couch

Sara Couch represents institutional investors, government entities and consumers in securities and consumer fraud litigation. Sara also assists in the litigation of individual tobacco cases.

Sara Couch contributes to litigation across several of the firm’s practice areas, including defective medical devices, toxic exposure, consumer protection, tobacco, and the opioid crisis.

Having been a member of a number of trial teams with the firm, Sara has helped achieve multiple plaintiff verdicts for tobacco victims, in addition to contributing to a multi-million verdict for victims of toxic lead paint exposure.*

Sara is also part of the opioid litigation team representing dozens of governmental entities, including states, cities, towns, counties and townships in litigation targeting the alleged misrepresentation and fraudulent distribution of harmful and addictive prescription opioids by manufacturers and distributors. She has additional experience representing women who’ve suffered devastating effects allegedly caused by defective medical products including Essure® permanent birth control and transvaginal mesh.

Prior to joining Motley Rice, Sara served as a law clerk with the North Carolina Department of Justice, where she researched and drafted briefs and memoranda regarding the False Claims Act and Stark Law for the North Carolina Medicaid Civil Enforcement Division.

She also investigated allegations of healthcare fraud and presented findings to the division. During law school Sara was a certified student practitioner with the University of North Carolina Civil Litigation Clinic. As a student practitioner, Sara represented clients in administrative hearings, obtaining successful outcomes and needed relief. She also represented several inmates in an action against the North Carolina prison system, conducting depositions and assisting in obtaining a preliminary injunction against the prison.

Sara also volunteered with Legal Aid of North Carolina, assisting advocates for Children’s Services with a school-to-prison pipeline project by researching education policy issues, North Carolina case law and education data to be used in education litigation. Sara completed a total of 50 hours of pro bono service while a student at UNC School of Law.

Active in her community, Sara currently serves on the Board of Directors for East Cooper Habitat For Humanity, as well as Slow Food Charleston. Sara also is part of the Roper St. Francis Xavier Society, which supports Roper Rehabilitation Hospital. An avid rower, Sara was a varsity member of the NCAA Division-I Duke University’s rowing team and is a classically trained pianist.

*Please remember that every case is different. Any result we achieve for one client in one matter does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.