Attorney Derek Usman says a piece of advice in a self-improvement book stuck with him and has become a cornerstone of how he practices law.
“I treat each case like it’s the most important case,” he says. “I approach each of them in the same manner, whether it’s a small claims case or a filing for the Supreme Court.”
This philosophy has helped his New Tampa-based business, The Usman Law Firm, P.A. — located in the Central Bank building on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. south of County Line Rd. — to grow through referrals and word-of-mouth among clients who need legal expertise for litigation, employment law and business law.
He established his firm in the community where he lives, knowing that many residents of our area may need an employment or business law firm, and may want to work with someone who is a part of their community.
“New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area residents are business owners and employees, and executives of businesses,” says Usman, “sometimes they are people who work for corporations that are relocating to the Tampa Bay area. They have a local resource right here. They don’t have to go to a big downtown firm.”
But, if they do want a downtown firm, Usman has that covered, too. He recently opened a second office in downtown Tampa to have more accessibility to the courts and to court personnel.
“Lawsuits always involve two sides,” he says, “and oftentimes, the opposing counsel is downtown.”
He says maintaining a second office in the heart of where most litigation happens allows him to communicate better with opposing counsel, while keeping his New Tampa office as his primary work location.
“Attorneys are fraternal,” he says. “It makes it easier to talk with them because you have a connection and a familiarity. A personal relationship makes things smoother.”
He values those personal relationships, which is why he always gives his full attention and diligent preparation to every case that comes before him. A client he helped with one of those “small cases” came back to him when something much bigger came up. This led to Usman recently filing a federal case on behalf of a St. Petersburg-based startup company, called Priatek, alleging its former executives stole technology and forced out the company’s president.
He says he was hired to represent that firm because one of its investors appreciated the way Usman treated his earlier case.
“That was a small claims trial, with a low dollar amount, but he knew that I prepared well,” says Usman.
And, Usman adds, he had no expectation that one case would lead to a bigger one, but that he treats everyone the same, across the board. He works hard to ensure each of his clients is represented well, no matter how minor their complaint may seem.
Happy Clients…
Jerry Newberry is a client who says he experienced that quality representation first-hand. As president of a local company, he was looking for an attorney to review some corporate documents he had prepared.
After finding Usman by searching online, Newberry says he was able to get an appointment quickly, go over his questions, and that Usman got back to him with all of his questions answered in just a few days.
“I was really happy,” Newberry says. “I had a bunch of questions because I don’t understand legal mumbo jumbo, and he answered all of them. I appreciated his timeliness and his feedback was very thorough.”
Plus, Newberry says he has worked with several lawyers who run up costs very quickly, but notes that Usman’s fees were very reasonable.
“I’ve dealt with 30 to 40 attorneys over 30 years, and he was painless,” says Newberry. “He was very willing to do whatever I needed, and he explained everything in a way that I understood and felt comfortable (with). I’m definitely pleased and will certainly use him again.”
Usman says he understands that litigation can be expensive and that a lot of the expense is hard costs, such as court fees, that clients have to pay.
He emphasizes that’s why he has multiple fee arrangements to meet each client’s needs. Fees can be paid as contingent, fixed or hourly billing.
“I work with clients on payment options,” he says. “Even though litigation is a costly endeavor, I don’t want that to deter you from pursuing actions on your behalf.”
Derek says many attorneys who practice business and employment law specialize in either initial transactions or disputes. However, Derek isn’t limited to only one area or the other.
He says his clients benefit from the hands-on experience he has had in courtrooms, from county courts, to state, federal and even appellate courts. Because he sees how litigation plays out in court, he knows the pitfalls to look out for in drafting agreements and other documentation.
“I know both parts and have experience in both,” he says. “I have more practical knowledge when it comes to forming agreements because I know what usually gets litigated in court.”
After moving from Chicago to Wesley Chapel in 2015 to be closer to family, Derek opened his local office of The Usman Law Firm off of Bearss Ave. In 2018, he moved to his current office on BBD to be right in the heart of the community where he lives and serves his neighbors.
Derek earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Indiana University in Fort Wayne in 1997 and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the Northern Illinois University College of Law in 2001.
He is admitted to practice before the bars of Florida, Illinois, the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Derek volunteers his time as part of the network of attorneys who work on both local and national cases with Alliance Defending Freedom, a faith-based nonprofit that focuses on legal advocacy.
The Usman Law Firm is located at 20701 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. For more information, please visit UsmanFirm.com or call (813) 377-1197.
