Derek G. Howard is founder of The Derek G. Howard Law Firm Inc. in Mill Valley, California. He has more than 30 years of experience in complex litigation on behalf of consumers, employees, trust beneficiaries and investors. He has served as Co-Lead Counsel in many nationwide class action cases and obtained substantial awards through both jury verdicts and pre-trial settlements. Mr. Howard’s practice has primarily involved prosecuting class actions and complex cases against major Fortune 500 corporations, attaining newsworthy and groundbreaking monetary settlements.
Since 2007, Howard has been elected by his peers as a “SuperLawyer” in Law & Politics Magazine, representing the top three percent of practitioners. In 2016, he was named one of the Top 100 Superlawyers in Northern California. As a result of previous verdicts and settlements, Howard has also qualified as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. In 2015, he was a Finalist for the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award from the Consumers Attorneys of California. In 2018, he was named one of the Top 100 High Stakes Litigators in Northern California.
Howard started with the national law firm of Pillsbury Madison and Sutro in 1986, specializing in antitrust and complex litigation on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. In 1999, he co-founded the firm Murray & Howard LLP and was managing partner until 2010. He then joined San Francisco based Minami Tamaki LLP, where he was Of Counsel during 2010-2015.
Howard was graduated in 1980 from the University of Pennsylvania, with double majors in Political Science and Urban Studies. After two years working on Special Investigations with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, he earned his Juris Doctor in 1984 from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. He received a Masters Degree in Sport Management in 2009 from the University of San Francisco.
Howard’s publications and speaking engagements cover current developments in the topics of development in sport and society, antitrust and unfair competition conducted by corporate entities financial abuse and fraud.
Howard has served as a Special Master in Marin County, and for seven years has served on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California. During 2014-2015, he was an Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco Masters’ Program in Collegiate Sport.
He has resided in Marin County with his family since arriving in California three decades ago.
