Derek U. Obialo is dedicated to fighting for the rights of the injured, the ordinary, and the victimized. His affection for advocacy and his compassion for the rights of ordinary folks lead him to take on causes and issues most avoid. He worked for years advancing the objectives of big corporations, and wants to leverage that experience to help victims of wrongdoing get justice.

Mr. Obialo worked for many years as a senior analyst and consultant at a premier construction and engineering dispute resolution firm in Houston, Texas. He provided technical analyses of schedule delay, disruption, productivity and inefficiency, causation and responsibility in a variety of project types, for owners and contractors, in the power, process, transportation, infrastructure, and building industries. He participated in contract analysis and the development of expert witness reports. He also conducted project risk management training to middle management in a major construction firm and an ivy league university. His work as a consultant involved a variety of domestic and international projects, ranging from a liquefied natural gas terminal plant in Louisiana to a flood retention project in Venice, Italy.

While attending law school, Mr. Obialo clerked at an elite Miami litigation boutique firm. After earning his JD degree, he worked briefly at a corporate in-house litigation department before starting his own practice.

Mr. Obialo attended the University of Miami School of Law from where he graduated with a Juris Doctor, cum laude. He was on the Dean’s List and was a Dean’s Fellow in U.S. Constitutional Law. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree (Finance) from the Houston Baptist University, and also a Bachelor of Laws (Honors) degree from the then Imo State University (now Abia State University, Nigeria). He also graduated from the Nigeria Law School, Victoria Island, from where he was licensed as a barrister and solicitor. After a few years law practice defending multinational corporations in communal land disputes, he immigrated to the United States and the Houston area.

Mr. Obialo is licensed to practice law in Texas. He is a member of the Houston Young Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, and the State Bar of Texas. He is involved in community progressive activities, and is an active member of the Catholic community in Houston. He is married to Dorothy Obialo, and they have three children. 

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