David Hendrickson Honored With WVU Order of Vandalia and Wheeling University’s Rev. Clifford Lewis, S.J. Award

Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, is proud to announce that Founding Partner David K. Hendrickson has received two significant honors recognizing a lifetime of service to higher education, West Virginia, and the people and institutions he has helped throughout his career.

David will be inducted into West Virginia University’s Order of Vandalia, the University’s highest recognition for service. He will also be recognized by Wheeling University with the Rev. Clifford Lewis, S.J. Award, an honor presented to individuals who have demonstrated “extraordinary service, contributions, and dedication to Wheeling University in the spirit of Father Lewis, a true ‘person of other.’”

The Order of Vandalia dates back to 1960, when WVU President Elvis J. Stahr proposed a special honor for the University’s most loyal servants. For David, the recognition reflects a connection to WVU that began long before his legal career.

David is a two-time WVU graduate, earning his undergraduate degree in 1979 and his law degree from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1982. He served as WVU Student Body President from 1978 to 1979 and was the second student voting member of the West Virginia Board of Regents. Over the decades that followed, his service to WVU continued in nearly every form: alumni leadership, teaching, board service, mentorship, advocacy for higher education, and support for students and University programs.

He is a past chair of the Kanawha Valley Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association, past National President of the WVU Alumni Association, WVU Alumni of the Year in 2004, WVU’s 2025 Most Loyal West Virginian, and a trustee of the West Virginia University Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund. He has also taught WVU students as an adjunct professor of history and business law.

Among his most visible contributions to WVU is his work supporting the Pride Practice Field and Facility, a permanent rehearsal space for the Mountaineer Marching Band. But those who know David understand that his service to WVU is not limited to any single project. It is part of a lifelong commitment to students, alumni, higher education, and the state of West Virginia.

“Dave’s passion for West Virginia, WVU, higher education and the people of West Virginia are second to none,” said R. Scott Long, Founding Partner who opened the firm with Hendrickson. “These recognitions, along with his many others, confirm what we all know: Dave has made this world a better place.”

In addition to his induction into the Order of Vandalia, David will also be honored by Wheeling University with the Rev. Clifford Lewis, S.J. Award. David has served as chair of Wheeling University’s Board of Trustees since 2024, helping guide the University through an important period in its history.

The Wheeling honor reflects the same qualities recognized by WVU: service, leadership, loyalty, and a willingness to give time and energy to institutions that shape future generations. The Rev. Clifford Lewis, S.J. Award is especially meaningful because it honors service in the spirit of Father Lewis, remembered as a true “person of other.”

David’s commitment to service has extended beyond higher education and into his legal career. He is one of West Virginia’s most experienced litigation attorneys, with 44 years of litigation experience. A former U.S. Army captain, David has represented clients in complex civil litigation, personal injury, insurance defense, product liability, toxic tort, natural resources, and general business disputes. He is also the founder and president of Hendrickson Mediation Services, where he helps parties resolve difficult disputes before trial.

His professional recognition includes membership in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Academy of Distinguished Neutrals. He has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Litigation Magazine, America’s Top Attorneys, and other national publications. Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, has also been recognized as a Tier 1 Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report in commercial litigation, construction law, and construction litigation.

“Any recognition I receive is a reflection of the world around me that has allowed a boy from Parkersburg High to make things a little better,” said Hendrickson. “The Order of Vandalia and Rev. Clifford Lewis, S.J. Award are something I truly don’t deserve but will cherish, honor and appreciate.”

Everyone at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC, is proud to call David a colleague and friend.

We congratulate him on these well-deserved honors and thank him for a lifetime of service to WVU, Wheeling University, the legal profession, and West Virginia.