Derek is a partner in DBL Law’s Louisville office, practicing primarily in the areas of Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Employment law. Derek has extensive experience handling claims involving municipal and governmental entities, commercial litigation, contractual disputes, defense of employment discrimination claims, and providing guidance and advice to employers. Derek is also active with the firm’s Government Advocacy & Economic Development practice group, and he helps clients navigate administrative processes with state and local governments. A veteran of multiple political campaigns before he began practicing law, Derek now also advises political campaigns, political action committees, and candidates for political office on compliance and other various matters. Derek is admitted to practice law in Kentucky state courts, the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky, and the Southern District of Indiana.

An active member of his community, Derek serves on the Board of Directors of Maryhurst, a Louisville-based non-profit that provides counseling and residential treatment to children who are the victims of abuse and neglect. Derek previously served as the vice chair of the Louisville Bar Association’s litigation section and is a graduate of Kentucky’s New Leaders Council program. In 2021, Derek was appointed by Governor Andy Beshear to Kentucky’s Board of Financial Institutions. 

Prior to joining DBL Law, Derek practiced with a Louisville law firm where he focused almost exclusively on civil defense litigation for claims involving personal injury, property destruction, employment discrimination, workers’ compensation defense, and administrative law. Derek received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, where he was the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Animal and Environmental Law, a member of the school’s ABA Arbitration Moot Court team and awarded the ALI CLE Scholarship and Leadership Award.  Derek received B.A., degrees in geography and German from the University of Kentucky where he graduated magna cum laude, served as president of the university’s geographical society and received the Thomas M. Geoghegan Memorial Undergraduate award. He lives in Louisville with his wife, son, and tortoiseshell cat.