Derrick L. Williams

Former Commissioner, Derrick L. Williams, is one of the youngest-ever to be appointed to the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. He was appointed in March 2007, and he served until January 31, 2013, when he decided to return to private practice. He is responsible for spearheading the effort to make mediation of workers’ compensation available for complex injury by accident cases in South Carolina.

He began his legal career at a mid-size insurance defense firm, where his litigation background included defending workers’ compensation claims for insurance companies, and insurance defense litigation.

Prior to joining the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, he was an associate at a national law firm based in South Carolina. He practiced in the areas of business litigation, franchise and distribution litigation, and labor and employment.

Derrick earned a Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 2002, where he was a member of the South Carolina Environmental Law Journal. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in the Honors Program at the College of Charleston in 1999.

Born in Florence, South Carolina he and his family moved later to Columbia, South Carolina, where he graduated from Dreher High School. Both his parents are pastors. In his spare time, Derrick enjoys golfing and spending time with his wife and two daughters.