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Biography

Derrick is a senior associate practicing with Frost Brown Todd’s Private Equity Practice Group. Derrick serves as a business advisor and corporate transactional lawyer to startups, small to mid-sized businesses, and Fortune 50 companies. Derrick’s clients range across multiple sectors including technology, commercial retail, restaurants, real estate development, private equity, venture capital, non-profits, and sports & entertainment. Derrick has been invited to speak by organizations across the country on various topics at the intersection of the law, technology, and sports. Derrick places importance on utilizing his expansive network, both in the Pittsburgh area and nationally, to add value to his clients by connecting individuals and businesses across various sectors with an emphasis on growth and relationship building for his clients.

Derrick boasts a wide range of experience. From commercial transactions and business advisement for startups and small businesses, to serving as privacy counsel for institutional clients, to mergers and acquisitions throughout the United States, Derrick is dedicated to helping companies and communities grow intelligently. Drawing from a diverse business and legal background, Derrick provides clients with effective and efficient solutions to challenging problems.

Other Info About Derrick

Education

Law School

Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 2020

Charles Hamilton Houston Scholar
Parker Scholar
Oliver L. Johnson Scholar

Undergraduate School

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, B.S., Criminology, magna cum laude, 2017

Frederick Douglass Human Development Award
W.E.B. DuBois Outstanding Student Award

Eastern Arizona College, A.A., General Studies, 2014, summa cum laude

Bar Memberships

Derrick is licensed to practice in the following state(s):

Pennsylvania, 2020

Courts

Derrick is admitted to practice before the following court(s):

U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 2021

Recognition

Local & National Recognition

The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch®, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), 2024; Intellectual Property Law, 2024

Pennsylvania Rising Star by Super Lawyers®, Business & Corporate, 2023

Sheila S. Boston Award for Excellence, National Bar Association, 2023

RealList Connectors, Technical.ly, 2023

Dukes of the Last Decade, Duquesne University, 2023

Young Alumni Award, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2022

Emerging Leaders Program, The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), 2022

TALI Scholar, Pittsburgh Legal Diversity & Inclusion Coalition, 2022

Associate Advancement Academy for Excellence Fellow, National Bar Association, 2022

Lawyers on the Fast Track, The Legal Intelligencer, 2022

Trailblazer in the Law, American Lawyer Magazine, 2021

Netflix Legal Diversity Fellowship, Netflix, 2021

30 under 30, Pittsburgh Business Times, 2020

Professional Affiliations

Professional Affiliations & Memberships

Allegheny County Bar Association

Civic Activities

Civic & Charitable Organizations

Pittsburgh Legal Diversity and Inclusion Coalition, Young Professionals Advisory Board Member

Familylinks, Board of Directors

Duquesne University Black Alumni Network, Vice President

Venture For America, Regional Advisory Board Member

AlphaLab, Mentor

TechStars, Mentor

AD99 Solutions Foundation, Board Member (2021-2022)

Pittsburgh Young Professionals, Board Chair of Diversity & Inclusion (2021-2022)

Prototype PGH, Board Member (2020-2022)

Firm Committees

Derrick serves or has served in the following leadership role(s) at Frost Brown Todd:

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Committee, Member

Presentations

Derrick was invited to speak at the following events:

Marching Forward to 100 Years of Service, Racial & Social Justice, and Sacrifice: A Retrospective on the Influence of the National Bar Association, National Bar Association Annual Convention, July 2023

Investment Ready, Black Tech Week, July 2023

Legal Basics for Entrepreneurs, Robert Morris University Massey Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, March 2023

Privacy in the Age of Innovation, Association of Corporate Counsel, November 2022

Legal Principles for Success, Black Tech Week, July 2022

Good Governance, Black Tech Week, July 2022

NFTs and the Future of Sports, University of Dayton School of Law Program in Law and Technology Seminar, June 2022

The Legal Principles Every Founder Should be Aware of, Minority Innovation Weekend, May 2022

Baseball Arbitration: Past and Present, New York Law School, March 2022

The Rise of eSports and the Metaverse, HBCU Tech Law Summit, March 2022

11 Ways To Kill Your Startup, RustBuilt Conference, September 2021

Black Entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Penguins, February 2021

Healthcare Privacy and Security – More than Just HIPAA, Healthcare Council of Western PA, October 2020

Major Publications

Derrick is an author or contributor to the following publications:

The State of Domestic Data Privacy in 2023, Allegheny County Bar Association Point of Law Newsletter, 2023

The Future of Data Privacy: Corporate Compliance in a Post-GDPR Global Market, Chief Privacy Officer Magazine, November 2018

Startups and the Law: The Legal Issues that can Shape the Trajectory of Tech Startups, teQ Magazine, June 2019

GDPR Compliance: The Practical Effects on the Way Companies Do Business, The Duquesne Lawyer, December 2019

The Evolving Legal Landscape of the Gig Economy, StartNow Pgh, 2020

Is Your Customer Data Secure?, National Tooling and Machining Association Newsletter, 2022

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