Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell is a trusted counselor to entrepreneurs, startups, and growing businesses throughout the Chicago area. With dual expertise in business formation and corporate tax planning, she provides the integrated legal and tax advice that growing companies need to structure their operations for long-term success.

Sarah joined Sterling & Associates in 2014, bringing with her a background that uniquely bridges law and accounting. Before law school, she worked as a CPA at a Big Four accounting firm, giving her a practical understanding of the financial and tax implications that inform every business structuring decision.

Her practice covers the full lifecycle of business formation and growth — from initial entity selection and formation through operating agreement drafting, equity structuring, and corporate reorganization. Sarah has formed over 300 business entities in Illinois and across the country, and she is known for taking the time to ensure each client's legal structure truly aligns with their business goals and tax situation.

On the tax planning side, Sarah advises businesses on entity tax classification, state and local tax planning, qualified small business stock elections, tax-efficient compensation structures, and the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions. She works closely with the firm's M&A practice to structure transactions in a tax-advantaged manner.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for Chicago's entrepreneurial community. She serves on the advisory board of 1871 (Chicago's tech and entrepreneurship center) and provides pro bono legal counsel to small businesses through the Lawyers' Committee for Better Housing.