Derek is a native of Lancaster, South Carolina and a graduate of Lancaster High School. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 2007 from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. While at Presbyterian, Derek was named to the Dean’s List, worked in the student center, and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. Immediately following undergraduate school, Derek sought his Juris Doctor degree from Charlotte School of Law in Charlotte, North Carolina. While attending law school, Derek studied abroad at the St. Mary’s University Institute on World Legal Problems, where he studied under an international faculty, including United States Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. After completing his education, Derek decided that the best use of his legal education would be to serve his hometown area. He began his legal career at a small firm in Lancaster, where he represented clients on a broad range of matters, including domestic, civil, criminal, and probate issues. Derek joins the Schiller & Hamilton team to head the firm’s newly reopened Lancaster Office to continue serving his hometown. He will focus his practice on family law and probate matters, as well as personal injury and accidents. Derek is an avid outdoorsman when not practicing law, and enjoys hunting and fishing throughout the year. He was awarded the Eagle Scout rank in 2001 while a member of Troop 72 of the Boy Scouts of America in Lancaster. Derek currently serves as an Area Chairman of Ducks Unlimited, leading the Lancaster County Chapter’s committee of volunteers to raise money and awareness to preserve and protect wetland habitat. In 2013, Derek completed the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce’s “Leadership Lancaster” program, a course designed to educate potential community leaders about the history, needs, and goals of Lancaster County. Derek and his wife, Natalie, are active in their church and community and enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends.