ShareholderKarl R. Ulrich

Overview

Karl joined SS+D in 1991. Prior to joining SS+D, Karl practiced with a large Kansas City, Missouri-based national law firm. As founder and head of the Labor and Employment and Immigration practice groups, Karl’s practice focuses primarily on representing management clients on a wide range of labor and employment matters. Karl also represents and counsels for-profit and not-for-profit businesses, their boards, and their executive leadership in general corporate, corporate governance, labor, employment, and immigration matters. Karl has been a shareholder at SS+D since 1994 and is a member of the firm’s Management Team.

Karl’s practice includes negotiating and drafting business, employment, and severance agreements, designing governing board policies, and crafting employment policies and procedures. Karl has substantial experience in conducting internal workplace investigations. He has represented management clients during union organizing, collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, and union decertification proceedings. Karl’s litigation work includes representing management in employment disputes and general business litigation in numerous state and federal courts and in administrative and ADR proceedings. Karl is frequently called upon to conduct in-house employee/supervisor training, and he lectures frequently to business groups on business, labor, employment, and litigation topics.

Professional Experience / Focus Areas

Karl received his B.A., summa cum laude, in History and German, from Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1983. As an undergraduate, he also studied for a time at the University of Kassel, in Germany. Karl received his J.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 1986, where he was Associate Editor of the Journal of Legislation. He also participated in the law school’s year-long international legal studies program in London, England.

Karl was admitted to the Missouri Bar and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in 1986, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in 1988, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in 1990. After coming to Ohio, Karl was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1991, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1992, and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in 1997. He also is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Karl is a long-standing Ohio State Bar Association Board Certified Specialist in Labor and Employment Law.

Karl also serves as one of the firm’s primary contacts for Meritas®, of which SS+D is a member. Meritas® is a worldwide affiliation of independent law firms.

Personal

Karl serves in leadership positions with several community organizations. Karl is a Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting Board Member and Board Treasurer/Secretary. He is also a member and Chair of United Church Homes Board of Directors. Karl is a past member and past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Sinclair Community College Foundation. He also has served as Member and past President of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Board of Directors and a past Member and past President of the Dayton Public Radio Keyboard, among other organizations. Karl was a founding member of Nexus United Church of Christ. Karl has served in various leadership capacities with the Southwest Ohio Northern Kentucky Association of the United Church of Christ.

Awards

• Leadership Dayton 1994
• Designated Ohio Super Lawyer by Law & Politics Media, Inc.
• Dayton Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree
• Best Lawyers in America recognition

Business Board Affiliations

• Ohio State Bar Association Board Certified Specialist in Labor & Employment Law
• Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting Board Member
• Board Member of United Church Homes