Derek Smith represents chemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and specialty-material companies in complex and mass tort litigation, with a focus on product liability, toxic tort, and commercial matters. Derek provides counsel on environmental, health, and safety matters, and defends clients against personal injury, property damage, and other environmental-related claims brought by individual, mass, and class plaintiffs, and local and state governmental entities. In court, he applies his command of toxicology, epidemiology, occupational medicine, and industrial hygiene to make his arguments accessible for juries. This ability, and his significant legal experience, makes him a staunch advocate for clients in a spectrum of matters.
Derek regularly advises clients on programs and policies relating to electronically stored information (ESI). He helps them develop and implement ESI programs tailored to their specific needs and ensures that they fully understand their obligations in creating and maintaining such information. Additionally, he regularly advises on how technology trends can increase legal risks in many industries.
His experience also covers PFAS, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), coal tar pitch volatiles (CTPVs), coke oven emissions (COEs), coal tar, creosote, chromated copper arsenate (CCA), arsenic, dioxins, pentachlorophenol, perchloroethylene (PCE), and petroleum pitch.