Derek Valz

Derek Valz has a strong background in the legal field, with experience in both law firms and as in-house counsel. Derek started their career in 2003 as a Legal Clerk / Attorney at Petroff & Associates, where they worked until 2006. In 2007, they joined Murphy Mahon Keffler & Farrier as an Attorney, a role they held for eight years until 2015. In that same year, Valz took on a leadership position at Rogers-O'Brien Construction, serving as the General Counsel & VP of Risk Management. Alongside their legal career, Valz also had a brief stint as an Assistant Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School in 2004.

Derek Valz earned a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from SMU Dedman School of Law, where they studied from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, they obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Electrical Engineering (EE) with a minor in Management Information Systems (MIS) from The University of Texas at Austin, studying from 1998 to 2002. In addition to their educational background, Derek Valz obtained a certification in Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in November 2011.