Derek joined the firm in 1981 and has applied thirty-seven years of practice to almost every facet of corporate and commercial litigation. During that time, he has appeared as trial and appellate counsel in all of the Alberta and Manitoba Courts, the Supreme Court of the Northwest and Yukon Territories, the Federal Courts of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as many Regulatory Tribunals.

His cases deal with many facets of the international business world and frequently turn on complex and sophisticated legal and factual issues. More than eighty of these cases have been nationally reported. Derek is publicly recognized as one of Alberta’s leading counsel in commercial insurance and corporate litigation. He is also known specifically for his insolvency, aboriginal and environmental litigation expertise.

Derek is recognized for his work in the field of alternate dispute resolution. As strategic counsel, he has earned a reputation for bringing early and effective resolution to complex disputes through the use of negotiation, mediation and arbitration.