Profile
Sara Beth advises clients on environmental, chemical regulatory, and occupational safety compliance issues, including the integration of various regulatory requirements into comprehensive compliance strategies. Her practice includes work with pesticides, industrial chemicals, agricultural products, medical devices, dietary supplements, contaminated property issues, and environmental due diligence in transactions.
Sara Beth advises companies and trade associations navigating through technical and cross-cutting issues under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA); the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA); the Clean Water Act (CWA); the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA); the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA); the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS); the Controlled Substances Act (CSA); and related federal and state regulatory programs such as California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (Proposition 65).
Experience
Professional Experience
- Private law practice (1986-2023)
Affiliations
- American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
- Co-Chair, Pesticides, Chemical Regulation, and Right-to-Know Committee (2020-2021)
- Council (2003-2006)
- Chair, Environmental Transactions Audits and Brownfield Committee (2000-2002)
- American Bar Association, Business Law Section
- Environmental Committee
- Human & Life Sciences Committee
Recognitions
- Euromoney’s Expert Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law (2010-2017)
- Who’s Who Legal, Environment (2009-2013)
Credentials
Education
J.D., cum laude, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law; Order of the Coif
B.S., magna cum laude, Texas Christian University
Law Journals
Notes & Comments Editor, Southwestern Law Journal
Clerkships
- Law Clerk for the Honorable Will Garwood, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (1985-1986)
Bar and Court Memberships
- District of Columbia Bar
- Texas Bar
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Fifth, Ninth, and Eleventh Circuits
Related News & Insights
- AlertEPA Announces Reversal of Policy Regarding Availability of Pesticide Incident InformationKeith A. Matthews, Sara Beth WatsonJuly 31, 2023
- EventFIFRA 101: Fundamentals of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide ActABA SEER Chemical, Pesticide, Right-to-know Committee and Environmental Enforcement and Crimes CommitteeJuly 20, 2023
- Media MentionBig Law Sees Growing Revenue in Environmental Law as Biden Administration Prioritizes Climate ActionThe National Law JournalApril 17, 2023
- Media MentionWiley Adds Steptoe & Johnson Enviro Compliance Pro In DCLaw360April 13, 2023