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Biography

Derrick is a managing associate practicing with Frost Brown Todd’s Private Equity & Venture 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 on various topics at the intersection of the law and technology. Derrick places importance on utilizing a relationship focused approach that builds trust with 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

40 Under 40, New Pittsburgh Courier, 2025

The Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch®, Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), 2024-2025; Intellectual Property Law, 2024-2025

Selected for inclusion in Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Stars®, 2023-2025

2025 Pathfinder, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

BTI Client Service All-Star, 2024

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

Executive in Residence, Massey Center for Entrepreneurship at Robert Morris University

Duquesne Law Alumni, Board of Governors Member

Pittsburgh Scholar House, Board of Directors

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

Familylinks, Board of Directors

First Tee Pittsburgh, Professional Advisory Council

Duquesne University Black Alumni Network, Vice President (2022-2024)

Venture For America, Regional Advisory Board Member (2023 – 2024)

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:

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee, Member

Presentations

Derrick was invited to speak at the following events:

Anatomy of a Term Sheet, Lighthouse, April 2025

Angel Investing Between the Coasts, Midwest House at SXSW, March 2025

Black Innovation: Small Business to Corporate America, Robert Morris University, March 2025

Intergenerational Diversity in the Legal Profession, Allegheny County Bar Association, March 2025

An Intro to Venture Capital, Robert Morris University, October 2024

Data Anonymization and Artificial Intelligence, Program in Law and Technology at Dayton School of Law, September 2024

Mistakes We Make: Common Legal Missteps, Jumpstart, July 2024

Legal Risks of Leveraging AI in Your Startup, Black Tech Week, July 2024

Legal Basics for Early-Stage Venture Backed Companies, Brown University, June 2024

Outside In Investor Discussion: Pride Fund, Innovation Works, May 2024

Why You Suck at Fundraising, Derby Tech Summit, April 2024

Hidden Founders: Diversifying Entrepreneurship, AUTM Annual Meeting, March 2024

It’s Not a Tech Problem, It’s a You Problem, Legalweek, February 2024

Outside In Investor Discussion: CincyTech, Innovation Works, January 2024

Simplifying the Startup Journey: From Idea to Growth and Beyond, Colaeb Marketing and Sales Conference, December 2023

From Beats to Boardrooms: The Business of Music, Black Tech Weekend, October 2023

Legal Considerations of Leveraging Generative AI as a Business Solution, Pace University Haub School of Law, September 2023

Common Legal Mistakes for Small Businesses, Barrell and Flow Festival, August 2023

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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