Derrick is a senior associate practicing with Frost Brown Todd’s Data, Digital Assets, & Technology Practice Group, Corporate Law Practice Group and Intellectual Property 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.
Duquesne University School of Law, J.D., 2020
Charles Hamilton Houston Scholar
Parker Scholar
Oliver L. Johnson Scholar
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
U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 2021
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
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)
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Belonging Committee, Member
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
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
January 26, 2023
August 3, 2022
November 16, 2021