Andy Ulmer was inspired to become a lawyer while working as a technical writer and legal assistant in an immigration law firm. The work required excellent listening skills and the ability to pull together narratives that helped clients tell their stories. Seeing his work have a direct impact on people’s lives was rewarding, an outcome that remains a top priority in his practice today, where he advocates for victims of personal and catastrophic injuries and adult survivors of childhood sex abuse.
From physical harm or death caused by a defective product to the long-term mental and emotional suffering endured by childhood sex abuse victims, Andy is committed to rectifying wrongs. While he recognizes that no one can undo past injuries, he can use the legal system to lighten the burden victims carry. Andy is unafraid to do battle with the entities or individuals that cause injury. He works diligently and aggressively to get vindication for his clients, to the fullest extent that the law allows.
In serious personal injury accidents and product defect cases, Andy has witnessed life-changing outcomes and injustices remedied through legal victories. For adult survivors of childhood sex abuse—many of whom were harmed in state foster or group homes, on sports teams, in schools, or in scouting—he understands that the goal of most victims is to find an acceptable resolution that also brings a sense of closure and a chance for a fresh start. Andy is willing to put in the hard work required to make those cases, even where records are incomplete, hidden, or non-existent. He is determined to hold accountable the responsible organizations, systems, entities, and individuals.
Andy’s capacity for empathy and careful listening, along with his ability to tell compelling stories, are his greatest strengths. He considers it a privilege to give voice to victims denied the opportunity or who have been fearful or too deeply scarred to come forward. In all cases, he is a resourceful, compassionate advocate. The opposition doesn’t deter him.
Representative Cases
• $8.5 million settlement after a seven-day jury trial in an officer-involved shooting case
• $6 million settlement with Kiwanis International for failing to protect children from sexual abuse at Kiwanis Vocational Home
• $4.5 million jury verdict for a client who sustained injuries when the train car she was in derailed and crashed onto the freeway
• $2 million settlement for a client who was abused by her high school band teacher in the 1990s
• Confidential seven-figure settlement for a client and his spouse in a personal injury case
• $750,000 settlement for survivor of sexual abuse by bowling coach
Clerkships
• Judicial law clerk to the Honorable Catherine Shaffer of the King County Superior Court, 2017-2019
Professional Associations
• Washington State Association for Justice, Member, 2019-present
• Tacoma-Pierce County Bar Association, Member, 2017-present
• Latino Bar Association of Washington, 2021-present
