With a background as Kansas’ second-longest-serving Attorney General, Derek represents clients before State Attorney General Offices across the country.
Growing up in Independence, Kansas, Derek was surrounded by public service: his dad was a business leader, city council member, and later the mayor, and his mom an active community volunteer. Derek’s own 30-year public service career includes time as a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate, 10 years in the Kansas State Senate—including six as Majority Leader and four as Agriculture Committee chair—and a role as special counsel to the Kansas governor.
In 2010, Derek was elected the 44th Kansas Attorney General and went on to serve three terms through 2022. During his time in office, he significantly strengthened the state’s enforcement capabilities in elder abuse and child sexual abuse. The office under his leadership also argued eight cases at the U.S. Supreme Court, including three personally argued by Derek and four he second chaired.
Derek joined Husch Blackwell in 2023, eager to help build the firm’s State Attorneys General team into a top-tier national practice. His mindset remains just as service-focused in private practice as it was in the public sector: Derek is passionate about helping clients grow and protect their businesses. He represents clients in regulatory, licensing, or permitting matters before their State Attorney General’s Office; assists with contracting processes in states where the Attorney General serves as a contracting authority; and supports clients in general government relations needs and relationship building with their State Attorney General’s Office. Derek’s goal is to provide clients with the representation and counsel they need to remain on good terms with their State Attorney General’s Office, helping them avoid or minimize the cost and uncertainty of investigations and litigation.
Thanks to his own time in office, Derek has an in-depth understanding of how State Attorney General Offices function. His knowledge is tremendously valuable to clients and extends far beyond Kansas: he also served as president of the National Association of Attorneys General and built relationships with his colleagues in both political parties across the country. Derek is ideally positioned to help clients navigate state systems in the most effective manner possible.