Derek is a native of Lancaster, South Carolina and a graduate of Lancaster High School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 2007 from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. While at Presbyterian, Derek was named to the Dean’s List, worked in the student center, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. Immediately following undergraduate school, Derek sought his Juris Doctor degree from Charlotte School of Law in Charlotte, North Carolina. While attending law school, Derek studied abroad at the St. Mary’s University Institute on World Legal Problems, where he studied under an international faculty, including United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. After completing his education, Derek decided that the best use of his legal education would be to serve his hometown area. He began his legal career at a small firm in Lancaster, where he represented clients on a broad range of matters, including domestic, civil, criminal, and probate issues. Derek joins the Schiller & Hamilton team to head the firm’s newly reopened Lancaster Office to continue serving his hometown. He will focus his practice on family law and probate matters, as well as personal injury and accidents. Derek is an avid outdoorsman when not practicing law, and enjoys hunting and fishing throughout the year. He was awarded the Eagle Scout rank in 2001 while a member of Troop 72 of the Boy Scouts of America in Lancaster. Derek currently serves as an Area Chairman of Ducks Unlimited, leading the Lancaster County Chapter’s committee of volunteers to raise money and awareness to preserve and protect wetland habitat. In 2013, Derek completed the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce’s “Leadership Lancaster” program, a course designed to educate potential community leaders about the history, needs, and goals of Lancaster County. Derek and his wife, Natalie, are active in their church and community and enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends.

Charlie is originally from Columbia, South Carolina. He attended The Citadel, graduating with a B.A. in English. After graduating from The Citadel, he attended University of South Carolina School of law, where he was named to the dean’s list. During law school, Charlie worked as a law clerk at several different litigation firms in preparation to be a trial attorney in the future. After graduation from law school, he served as the judicial law clerk for Circuit Court Judge D. Craig Brown, where he further gained insight into trial advocacy and civil litigation. After completing this judicial clerkship, he joined Schiller and Hamilton out of a desire to represent members of the South Carolina community who are injured and need a zealous advocate to help them be made whole.

Joel Hamilton is a co-founder of the Schiller and Hamilton law firm and manages the operations of the statewide firm’s office in Rock Hill, SC. With 12 years of experience representing injured parties, Joel has recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of his clients in a range of cases including auto accidents, trucking accidents, mass transit accidents, civil rights violations, premises liability and medical malpractice. Joel is always in service to his community and formerly served as a York County Councilman representing District 7. In that role, he was the chair of the County’s Economic Development Committee and enjoyed working to recruit and encourage new economic opportunities in the area. Additionally, Joel is active on several boards and commissions. He is currently the Chair of the Historic Rock Hill Foundation, as well as serving on the boards of the Rock Hill Economic Development Corporation, York County Regional Chamber, Winthrop University Board of Trustees, and the Gravity Center Foundation. He also formerly served on the boards of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, Fort Mill Economic Partners, and Christmasville in Rock Hill. However, Joel’s favorite time is the time he gets to spend with his wife of 13 years and two young daughters and enjoys taking in their Charlotte Independence Soccer games and listening to their violin lessons.