Derek Smith is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on complex product liability, mass tort and environmental matters. He represents clients across a range of industries, including chemical and specialty materials, coal and coke chemicals, PFAS and emerging contaminants, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and consumer products, in high-exposure disputes involving alleged personal injury, occupational and residential exposures, and environmental contamination.
Derek frequently serves in national and coordinating counsel roles in multijurisdictional litigation, where he helps develop and execute defense strategies across large and evolving dockets. His experience spans individual, mass, and class actions, as well as claims brought by state and federal agencies, including those involving environmental remediation and natural resource damages.
Credentials
Education
- University of Cincinnati College of Law, J.D., 1997
- University of Toledo, B.A.A., 1994
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
- Ohio
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio