Elizabeth B Sandza

Elizabeth B Sandza

Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker • Washington, DC
InsuranceBusiness LitigationClass ActionsGeneral PracticeInvestigations

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Contact

Email
Phone
(844) 406-3726
Address
700 11 Th St NW Ste 400, Washington, DC, 20001-4507, US

Professional

About

Elizabeth Sandza counsels boards of directors of for-profit and non-profit corporations. A former Delaware Deputy Attorney General, she also has extensive experience representing corporate clients in government investigations and in complex business litigation. Betsy has defended her clients in class actions, fraud and RICO cases, antitrust matters and injunctive actions, as well as in high-value disputes with their business partners. She appears regularly in state and federal trial courts and before federal multidistrict panels and international arbitral tribunals, as well as in bankruptcy, liquidation and appellate courts. She chairs Wilson Elser’s Commercial Litigation practice and is co-chair of the firm’s Class Action practice. Betsy is appreciated for her calm and practical approach to clients' problems, and even their alleged wrongdoing. With a career’s worth of experience defending clients against a wide variety of serious charges under the most complicated circumstances, she has the ability to see the big picture and learn the details, while allowing her clients to focus on their business. International Involvement Betsy is 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 invests in small and medium-sized companies in eleven Sub-Saharan countries. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board of the South Africa Washington Internship Program. Areas of Focus International Involvement Betsy is 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 invests in small and medium-sized companies in eleven Sub-Saharan countries. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board of the South Africa Washington Internship Program. Internal Investigations Betsy has assisted clients in designing and implementing compliance and governance programs, conducting internal investigations and preparing comprehensive defense strategies in response to investigations by government regulators, state and federal prosecutors, and civil litigants. International Business Betsy has tried international arbitrations before the London Court of International Arbitration, the American Arbitration Association, and an arbitration panel of the National Construction Council of Tanzania, and she is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She counsels U.S. corporations regarding exposure 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). In addition, Betsy advises U.S. companies doing business in Africa on U.S. regulations applicable to foreign trade and transacting business abroad. Insurance-Reinsurance For 20 years, Betsy has represented excess insurers in bad faith and major complex insurance coverage cases involving liabilities for mass product failures, toxic torts, environmental cleanup and asbestos injuries. In addition, she has represented reinsurers and cedents in reinsurance arbitrations before industry tribunals. Betsy frequently counsels insurance companies on market conduct and regulatory compliance, and she has defended insurance companies in investigations by state insurance regulators and attorneys general. She was commissioned to write the current insurance code for the country of Uganda.

About Insurance Law

Insurance attorneys handle disputes between policyholders and insurance companies. They fight for fair claim settlements and represent clients in bad faith cases. Common matters include denied claims, bad faith insurance, coverage disputes, policy interpretation.

Credentials

Education
1979 Tample University JD - Juris Doctor 1974 Northwestern University MS - Master of Science 1973 University of Minnesota BA - Bachelor of Arts
Languages
English

Recognition & Involvement

Awards
2016 AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell 2016 Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers 2016 Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators 2015 Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers 2015 Top Attorneys, Washington, DC, Top Attorneys
Associations
2016 - Present Chartered Institute of Arbitrtators Washington DC Chair 2015 - Present Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel Co-Chair, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee 1988 - Present District of Columbia Bar Member 1988 - Present Maryland State Bar Association Member 1981 - Present State Bar of California Inactive Member
Updated: Mar 08, 2026