Sandza Law PLLC
About Elizabeth B. Sandza
About Elizabeth B. Sandza
Elizabeth Sandza represents clients regularly in state and federal trial courts in Delaware, California, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, as well as in the bankruptcy and appellate courts in those jurisdictions.
She also chaired the Commercial Litigation Practice and the Class Action Defense Practice at Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker LLP, an AMLaw 200 law firm, for 10 years.
A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, she also regularly appears before international arbitral tribunals and can serve as an arbitrator or neutral.
Betsy regularly counsels U.S. corporations regarding exposures under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, regulations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and international banking anti-terrorism and anti−money laundering regulations. She also has served as counsel to U.S. advocates for foreign governments under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). A former Delaware Deputy Attorney General, she also has extensive experience representing corporate clients in government investigations.
Betsy served for 15 years as corporate secretary and general counsel to the board of directors of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund, a $100 million equity fund created by the U.S. government that invested in small and medium-sized companies in eleven Sub-Saharan countries.
In addition, she served on the Advisory Board of the South Africa Washington International Program, an NGO that brings together promising young South African leaders of diverse backgrounds and exposes them to government and business in the United States.
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Awards & Distinctions
AV® Preeminent™ Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Rated by Martindale-Hubbell as a Washington, DC and Baltimore Top Rated Lawyer, 1999-2014, 2016-2020
Who's Who of American Lawyers Who's Who of American Women Selected for inclusion in Washington, DC Super Lawyers, 2014-2020
Memberships & Affiliations
Delaware Bar Association
District of Columbia Bar Association Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, member for more than 25 years (former member)
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), a Director of the North American Branch and Chair of the Washington, D.C. Chapter
Bars
District of Columbia, California, Delaware, Maryland
Courts
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, District of Delaware
- U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
Firm Affiliations:
Gordon & Rees - 1981-1985 - Associate
Partnerships:
Leboeuf Lamb, Greene & MacRae 1985- 2007
Dewey & Lebouef - 2007 - 2009
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman and Dicker 2009-2021
· Education
· Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law, J.D., 1979
· Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, M.S., 1974
· University of Minnesota, B.A., 1973, · magna cum laude
About Richard W. Sandza
About Richard W. Sandza
- Richard Sandza has been involved in several employment litigation matters, filed lawsuits on behalf of homeowners in disputes with contractors as well as defended clients who have been sued in contract disputes.
- He has also been involved in complex probate matters and in drafting wills. He has appeared in the criminal division in DC Superior Court on behalf of criminal defendants and has been successful in expunging criminal records for clients whose cases were dismissed.
- In law school Richard participated in Law Students in Court, a DC based law school criminal law clinic that trains criminal defense lawyers by having them handle actual cases for misdemeanor defendants.
- Richard brings to his legal practice decades of experience in business and entrepreneurship which provide him with a deep understanding of the issues that clients face, whether they be commercial transactions, contract disputes or individuals or family members seeking assistance in estate planning and probate matters.
- Before becoming an attorney, Richard founded a media company in Baltimore, and was responsible for managing all aspects of the business, financial and editorial operations. Richard has renovated and invested in real estate in Washington, Baltimore, Delaware and California. These experiences have informed his ability to assess real estate opportunities, interpret the regulatory development maze and assess performance issues.
- Richard was also an award winning journalist for several years and covered the US Department of Justice, The Pentagon, The CIA, The FAA and the FBI for Newsweek Magazine. His work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Army Times, NPR and other national outlets. He has appeared on CNN, NBC News and other broadcast outlets. He has written extensively about technology, aviation, the courts and trends in the law. He is a licensed helicopter pilot, having served as an aviator in the U.S. Army.
- Education
Fordham University, BS Marketing
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, MS Journalism
David A. Clarke School of Law of the University of the District of Columbia, J.D. cum laude