Today: Dec 09, 2024

Tech Savvy Lawyer: My journey to representing pioneering startups.

12 months ago
  • Frost Brown Todd Senior Associate, Derrick Maultsby, has opened up about his career journey, his passion for working with founders, and how mentorship has significantly influenced his success.
  • Operating as a business advisor for startups and Fortune 500 companies, Maultsby mainly caters to the tech sector, serving as an outside general counsel, providing advice and guidance on business operations, transactions, fundraising, and intellectual property protection.
  • Despite the challenges he faced as a minority in the tech ecosystem and a young Black professional with big ideas, Maultsby credits his progress to his mentors, endorsers, and sponsors who have actively supported his journey.

Derrick Maultsby is a Pittsburgh native who currently works as a Senior Associate at Frost Brown Todd, a law firm specializing in the Data Digital Assets and Technology Practice Group, Corporate Law Practice Group, and Intellectual Property Practice Group. With immense respect for innovators and founders who tackle challenges and take risks, Maultsby chose a career helping those who fearlessly establish their own companies.

In his role, Maultsby primarily caters to clients in the technology sector, acting as an outside general counsel and offering advice on their day-to-day business operations, transactions, fundraising, intellectual property protection, and more. The part of his job that excites him most is the relationships he builds with the founders and investors he works with daily.

Balancing a competitive, yet collaborative work environment, Maultsby believes that a company’s success lies in a multi-faceted approach. From employment law to intellectual property law, immigration law, and real estate, teamwork and collaboration are key in achieving positive outcomes for clients.

Maultsby’s career hasn’t been free of challenges. As a young, ambitious Black professional in the tech business, he has faced numerous roadblocks and barriers. However, it is his fervent belief in “good trouble,” a principle he took from Representative John Lewis, that has helped him navigate these challenges. He continues to do what he believes in, even when met with opposition.

Despite these challenges, Maultsby takes pride in building genuine relationships with his clients and community partners, valuing them beyond their professional capacities. He credits his progress to the great mentors, endorsers, and sponsors who have been instrumental in his journey, enabling him to overcome hurdles and succeed in his career.