Learn about the Wharton, Aldhizer & Weaver, PLC attorneys who represent employers in OSHA law matters.
Tom Ullrich regularly represents corporate clients, throughout the United States, in cases involving employment discrimination, occupational and fleet safety matters, OSHA compliance and enforcement issues, and a range of commercial claims such as products liability, including adulterated foods claims; personal injury, including claims involving tractor trailers and commercial equipment; contracts, including cases involving procurement and Uniform Commercial Code issues; toxic torts, including claims of exposure to toxic substances; and securities. In addition, he regularly develops corporate policies and procedures for clients, assists clients with federal contract compliance and audits, and guides clients through corporate governance issues. Mr. Ullrich has handled complex employment claims, including FLSA collective actions, Title VII and ADA class actions, OSHA administrative hearings and other employment, products liability and commercial matters in more than twenty-five states, and has tried cases to verdict in many states. Mr. Ullrich serves as rapid response counsel for a national company, assisting in the identification of issues and direct investigation of serious occupational and fleet accidents.
B.A., 1976, St. John‚ University J.D., 1987, St. John‚ University
- Maryland State Bar (1988)
- New York State Bar (1988)
- Virginia State Bar (1988)
- West Virginia State Bar (2003)
- Pennsylvania State Bar (2004)
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2011)
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (1988)
- United States District Court for the District of Maryland (2014)
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (1995)
- United States District Court for the Western District of New York (2001)
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (2004)
- United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania
(2005) - United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania (2010)
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia (1989)
- United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia (1989)
- United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (2003)
- United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia (2003)
- Virginia‚ Legal Elite, Virginia Business Magazine
- Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers Magazine
- AV Rated with Martindale-Hubbell Virginia
- Association of Defense Attorneys
- Virginia State Bar
- Virginia Bar Association
- West Virginia Bar
- New York State Bar
- Maryland State Bar
- Pennsylvania State Bar
- Virginia Trucking Association
Derek provides a complete portfolio of Occupational Safety & Health-related services as a partner in the OSHA practice group. He offers customized training packages for safety teams, consultations on OSHA compliance, advice and recommendations during an inspection, and the litigation services needed to successfully defend against citations. Derek can assist you on OSHA enforcement topics, such as: machine guarding; fall protection; lock-out/tag-out (LOTO); process safety management (PSM); reporting and recording injuries and illnesses; walking-working surfaces; ergonomics and medical management; personal protective equipment (PPE); OSHA’s enforcement of restroom breaks, and many other areas.
Derek’s OSHA practice is nationwide, and his clients can reach him quickly and easily. He has a reputation for understanding his clients’ unique concerns and passionately advocating for them. He has litigated OSHA cases in 9 of the 10 Federal OSHA Regions, and many of the State OSHA plans across the country. As a retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, Derek brings discipline, commitment, and a willingness to fight to his relationships with clients. After starting his Marine service as an artillery officer, Derek was selected by the Marine Corps to attend Law School at the College of William & Mary. He spent thirteen years as a Marine Judge Advocate with assignments in Afghanistan and at the Pentagon. He prosecuted and defended criminal cases, was a criminal law professor focused on Fourth Amendment protections, and worked on policy matters at the Pentagon. Derek joined the Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver team when he retired from the Marine Corps in 2014 after 20 years of distinguished military service. When he is not working on OSHA inspection cases, Derek likes to play golf, trail run, spend time with his family, try to tire out his black lab, and watch sports. Born and raised in Syracuse, New York, Derek still wonders why the Central New York delicacy known as “salt potatoes” has not become America’s favorite summer picnic food.
- BA, Political Science, (1994) University of Rochester (Phi Beta Kappa,
Magna Cum Laude) - JD (2001) William and Mary, (Order of Coif, Law Review,
Moot Court, President of Military Law School) - LL.M (2009) The Army JAG School (one of 4 honor graduates)
- Virginia (2001)
- Western District of Virginia
- American Bar Association, 2004 Younger Federal Lawyer Award for criminal defense work
- Virginia State Bar
- Harrisonburg-Rockingham Bar Association
- Selected to Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite for Civil Litigation, 2014-2018
- Rotary Club of Rockingham County
Lucas loves the intellectual aspect of legal practice. He excels in studying a client’s case, thinking through a problem, and crafting direct and effective resolutions. He finds it rewarding to learn about different areas of the law and how they relate to each other. While working with the various teams at Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver, Lucas has been able to learn from experienced litigators in the fields of Occupations Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) law and Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) law. Lucas grew up Woodstock, Virginia. He moved back to the Shenandoah Valley to join Wharton Aldhizer & Weaver in 2016 after receiving his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the College of William & Mary and his undergraduate degree in neuroscience from Duke University. In his free time, Lucas enjoys playing basketball, soccer, and tennis and watching Duke win basketball games.
- William & Mary School of Law (J.D., 2016, cum laude)
- Duke University (B.A., 2013)
- Virginia (2016)
- The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- The United States Court for the Western District of Virginia
- The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Virginia
- The United States Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Virginia State Bar
- Virginia Legal Elite (2017, 2018, 2019)
- Blue Ridge Legal Services Pro-Bono Recognition (2017)