Derek M. Durnavich
Partner
Derek is an impassioned litigator with extensive experience across several practice areas in Indiana and Illinois. His current practice focuses primarily on personal-injury litigation, including cases in both state and federal court. His dedication to each client’s interests and his unrelenting advocacy at every step of the process help him secure favorable results for his clients on a regular basis.
Outside the courtroom, Derek enjoys traveling, attending concerts and sporting events, playing pool, and organizing charitable initiatives for homeless veterans and underprivileged youth.
Background and Education
Derek was born and raised a few miles outside Chicago before settling in Northwest Indiana, where he has lived since. He attended Indiana University, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. After returning home, he worked as a full-time tutor, teaching more than thirty subject areas to students of all ages and leading a college entrance exam prep program that generated over one million dollars in scholarship awards.
Derek’s commitment to learning and service led him to pursue a legal career. He earned his Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. During law school, Derek served as a Judicial Extern to the Honorable Thomas L. Kirsch II at the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, assisting on several high-profile matters. He also worked as a law clerk for a personal-injury firm under a Student Legal Intern License, where he successfully defended a motion to dismiss in court against a major healthcare network and prevailed thereafter on appeal. By graduation, he had already amassed several wins at both the trial and appellate levels.
Bar Admissions
- Supreme Court of Indiana
- Supreme Court of Illinois
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana
