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Biography

Derek Smith has practiced sexual harassment and discrimination law for over 25 years. He has obtained the largest emotional distress jury verdict ever to be sustained on appeal in the entire United States for an employment law case. Derek Smith has also secured a settlement in excess of $15,000,000 on behalf of a client.

From Derek: “A lawyer once told me many years ago not to get so emotionally involved in my cases. Well, I think the complete opposite is true! It makes me furious when I hear stories of employers discriminating against or sexually harassing their employees! If an employer treats you differently because of your race, religion, age, gender, or disability, I say, “How dare they??!” If your boss sexually harasses you or compels you to have a sexual relationship of any kind, I am outraged! We like to partner and become one with our clients. We represent them, and they represent us. We are a team. That is our philosophy. We are personally offended when injustice is done to our clients. So, to that lawyer, who said that many years ago to me, I say that you are so, very, very wrong! It is that emotional attachment to our cases that helps us to better represent our clients and get them the most that we can on their case. That is how we have obtained many, multi-million dollar jury verdicts and many multi-million dollar settlements for our clients. The results speak for themselves.”

Attorney Derek Smith is an experienced labor & employment law litigator who has particular experience in the areas of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, civil rights litigation, employment law, and civil litigation. Attorney Smith received his J.D. in 1994 from the Penn State Dickinson School of Law, his B.A. in 1991 from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., and studied at the Université de Droit, d’Économie, et des Sciences d’Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence, France.

Attorney Derek T. Smith is admitted to the state bars of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, and California. Derek Smith is admitted to the Federal Courts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida and California. Derek Smith is also proud to be admitted to The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.

Attorney Smith is a member of the National Employment Lawyers Association (“NELA”), National Employment Lawyers Association of New York (“NELA/NY”), New York State Trial Lawyers (“NYSTLA”) and practices in the New York, Florida, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and  Los Angeles offices.

Attorney Smith is also a Judge in the annual Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition as well as a Judge in the Charles W. Froessel Intramural Moot Court Competition.

Attorney Smith has personally litigated and resolved numerous high profile cases against multi-billion dollar corporations and has attained some of the largest employment law verdicts in workplace discrimination and sexual harassment, with his clients receiving millions in damages in these cases.
Derek T. Smith is fluent in English and French.

Awards and Recognition

Top-Rated by SuperLawyers year after year as one of the top 5% attorneys in Employment Law; Obtained the Largest Emotional Distress Verdict upheld in an Employment Law Case in the entire United States; Secured a Settlement in Excess of $15,000,000 on behalf of a client; Settled another case for an amount in excess of $6,000,000 and another case for an amount in excess of $7,000,000. Obtained a jury verdict in excess of $4,000,000. Obtained many other multi-million dollar settlements and jury verdicts. Perfect 10.0 Avvo Lawyer Rating. Top Employment Lawyer As Recognized By Newsweek. Recognized by New York Law Journal for Top Verdicts in Employment Law.

Membership

National Employment Lawyers Association; NELA

Admission

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Florida
  • California
  • U.S. District Court of the Northern, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
  • U.S. District Court Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania
  • U.S. District Court District of New Jersey,
  • U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
  • Supreme Court of The United States

Education

The Penn State, Dickinson School of Law, J.D., 1994

The University of Michigan, B.A., 1991

Université de Droit, d’Économie, et des Sciences d’Aix-Marseille, 1990

Languages

English, French

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