Daryl A. ("Sandy") Chamblee

Partner

• schamble@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Sandy Chamblee is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where she is a member of the Litigation Department.  She has 30 years of experience as an attorney, senior advisor, and executive in policy analysis and development, conflict resolution, and strategic planning related to biotechnology, health care, and complex, multiparty litigation in the insurance, toxic tort, and energy contexts.  Between 1992 and 1995, Ms. Chamblee briefly left law practice to serve in two senior policy positions at the National Institutes of Health, most recently as Deputy Director for Science Policy and Technology Transfer (Acting).  In addition, between April and October 1997, she chaired the Board of Directors of Columbia Hospital for Women Foundation in Washington, DC, serving as well as a co-administrator of the hospital on many issues.

Since her return to Steptoe, Ms. Chamblee has concentrated in practice areas involving life sciences, health, or medical issues.  In the area of toxic tort litigation, Ms. Chamblee has focused on the development of the medical, epidemiological, and toxicological aspects of causation, through work with appropriate experts.  In biotechnology, Ms. Chamblee has focused on issues related to collaborative, sponsored, or equity arrangements or joint ventures between research entities, pharmaceutical, and/or biotechnology companies and/or the federal government for the development, acquisition, and exploitation of biomedical assets. 

Ms. Chamblee has testified before Congress and has spoken broadly on various biotechnology issues, including collaborative research and product pricing issues, and has written on managed care legislation, and most recently on challenges to medical experts in toxic tort litigation.

Recently, Ms. Chamblee was named Steptoe's first Chief Diversity Partner.  She spends half of her time on initiatives to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Select News & Events

• MCCA Quotes Sandy Chamblee on Diversity Legislation in Dodd-Frank
• Sandy Chamblee serves as Keynote Speaker at Georgetown University Law Center BLSA’s Minority Youth Law Day, April 2011
• Sandy Chamblee Quoted in Law 360 Article on Steptoe Being Named One of "50 Best Law Firms for Women"
• Sandy Chamblee speaks at HB Litigation Conferences "Women in Law and Business: How to Arrive, Survive and Thrive at the Top"
• Challenging Times Require Self Investment and Group Accountability, Panel on Examining the Diversity Endgame, Charting Your Own Course ("CYOC") Conference
• Sandy Chamblee Interviewed in NAWL's October News, "In My Opinion," Column
• Steptoe Names Chamblee First Chief Diversity Partner
• Product Safety Webinar—Product Recalls: Effectively Managing the Process, January 10, 2008, (A Steptoe-sponsored event)

Selected Publications

• "White Men Are Key to Inclusion"
  November 2010, Diversity Journal, Thoughtleaders
• "Time to Call In One of Us"
  October 2008, Legal Times
• "Challenges to Plaintiffs' Experts in Toxic Tort Cases: De-Bunking the Junk in Medical Causation Opinions"
  2007, Exploring Toxic Tort and Environmental Liability Claims (DRI Defense Library Series)

Professional Affiliations

• Trustee, University of Maryland Baltimore Foundation, Inc., June 2005-present
• Member, Federal City Council 1997-present; Executive Committee, 2000-04
• Member, Board of Governors, District of Columbia Bar, 1985-89; Secretary, 1985-86
• Member, Board of Directors, Columbia Hospital for Women Foundation and the Medical Center, 1987-97; Chair, Foundation Board, April 1997-October 1997; Chair, Medical Center Board's Performance Improvement Committee, 1995-96