Derek L. Graham is a principal and partner at Philipps & Graham, LLC in Dublin, Ohio. His practice includes estate planning, special-needs estate planning, developmental-disabilities law, guardianship, probate and probate litigation, and business organization, transactions, and succession planning. Earlier in his career, he worked in civil litigation, business transactions, and estate planning.
Graham earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Kentucky, double-majoring in Finance and Decision Science and Information Systems, and earned his Juris Doctor from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. His official biography explains that the birth of his daughter with Down syndrome in 2009 gave him direct experience with many of the legal and planning issues faced by families of individuals with developmental disabilities and became an important influence on his special-needs planning work.
His professional and community involvement has included leadership and service with the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio, Ohio SIBS, The Arc of Ohio, the Ohio Guardianship Association, Columbus Bar Association committees, and educational programs associated with the Supreme Court of Ohio Judicial College. His official profile also lists teaching, writing, and recognition related to guardianship and developmental-disability law, including a 2016 Ohio Guardianship Association Distinguished Service Award, Super Lawyers Rising Star recognition, a 2019 Columbus Business First 40 Under 40 honor, and a 2023 DSACO Impact Award.