Derick D. Dailey

With a rare blend of federal and state prosecutorial and investigative experience, Derick helps clients resolve significant disputes early and without the need for litigation. And when litigation is the only option, Derick handles matters from beginning to end with a knack for navigating state and federal courts seamlessly. Derick represents clients in matters involving State Attorneys General inquiries and investigations, state and federal investigations, as well as complex commercial litigation. Derick also handles investigations by state and federal regulatory bodies and conducts sensitive internal investigations on behalf of corporations, universities, and non-profits.

Before joining Crowell, Derick previously served as Senior Counsel to New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. In that position, he was a member of General Platkin’s senior executive team that supervised and operated the over 7,000-person New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety and the Office of the Attorney General. As one of Platkin’s senior policy and legal advisors, Derick was responsible for overseeing the Division on Civil Rights and the Juvenile Justice Commission, and developing and executing the Attorney General’s policy initiatives and supervising some of the department’s most complex and high-profile matters, including but not limited to matters relating to criminal justice, civil rights, youth justice, voting rights, reproductive rights, and racial justice. Prior to his work in the New Jersey Attorney General’s office, Derick served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, where he was Chief of the Financial Litigation Unit, responsible for enforcement of criminal (criminal restitution) and civil debts (civil penalties assessed by federal agencies and civil fraud actions) owed to the United States and victims of federal crimes. Derick also prosecuted white-collar crimes, led civil rights investigations, defended federal agencies in court, and helped manage the District’s financial restructuring docket, namely chapters 7, 13, and 11—including adversary proceedings. Derick also served on the District’s Re-entry Court and was a member of the Office’s Leadership Council.

A graduate of Fordham University School of Law, Derick remains actively engaged in the Fordham Law community. He serves as a board member for the Fordham Law Alumni Association and as an adjunct professor of law, teaching a course on criminal justice and public policy. While in law school, Derick served as National Chair of the National Black Law Students Association, the largest student-run non-profit organization in the world. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of the National Black Law Students Association – Northeast Region.

Derick has been named an Obama Foundation USA Leader for 2024-2025, one of 100 leaders selected across the United States. The six-month non-residential leadership program is designed to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders across the country.