Derek T. Smith

Derek Smith is the founder and partner of Derek Smith Law Group, PLLC, a nationally respected plaintiff-side employment and civil rights law firm. With offices in New York, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Washington D.C., San Diego, and San Francisco, he provides clients with nationwide representation in complex and high-profile cases.
Mr. Smith focuses his practice on employment discrimination, workplace sexual harassment, wrongful termination, retaliation, wage and hour disputes, civil rights violations, and child sexual abuse litigation. He is especially experienced in handling quid pro quo harassment, hostile work environments, sexual assault, civil rape, and discrimination based on gender, race, age, religion, disability, and sexual orientation.
With over 30 years of legal experience, Mr. Smith has represented clients in high-profile cases against powerful executives, corporations, institutions, and abusers, securing over $450 million in verdicts and settlements. He achieved the largest emotional distress jury verdict upheld on appeal in U.S. history for an employment discrimination matter. His results and recognition reflect his ability to take on even the most complex, high-stakes cases.
Mr. Smith’s approach to advocacy is personal and client centered. He understands the toll that harassment, discrimination, and abuse take on survivors, and he works closely with therapists and counselors to provide both legal and emotional support. He represents a diverse clientele, from blue-collar workers to high-profile public figures and child abuse survivors, always with compassion and dedication.
A graduate of the University of Michigan (B.A., 1991) and Penn State Dickinson Law (J.D., 1994), Mr. Smith offers free, confidential consultations and represents clients on a contingency-fee basis - clients never pay anything out of pocket. All attorney’s fees come as a percentage of the amount recovered, and no fees are owed unless the case is successful.