In the 1970s, Ullman was involved in key hearings before Congress, which helped set a precedent preserving consumer access to supplements, including the vitamins A and D case in which FDA sought to see high dose vitamins characterized as drugs.
Later, he forestalled the FDA's attempt to regulate vitamins as food additives as lead counsel in the 'Black Current oil' cases, and he represented Metagenics in a landmark FTC case that defended the bone-building properties of calcium.
While the industry as a whole, and indeed consumers too, have a lot to thank Ullman for, it is his fellow lawyers who give the best character sketch:
"Bob Ullman's reputation for tenacity is legendary," said Tony Young, general counsel of the American Herbal Products Association.
"He has gotten great results: he even got the FTC to agree to use one client's settlement for cancer research. And he won't hesitate to tell you about his successful defense of calcium. Bob grew up in the dietary supplement industry, he stuck with it and he has accomplished plenty for it. His achievements have truly been lifetime."
"I grew up watching my father fight for the supplements industry with a passion that didn't accept failure or defeat," said Marc Ullman.
Robert and Marc Ullman are both partners at New York firm Ullman, Shapiro & Ullman, which they founded in 1999 with Steve Shapiro.