R. Derek Classen, who graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA, is a partner at PGBR. He graduated from UCLA in 1989 with a degree in History and a Business Emphasis. Afterward, he attended Law School at the University of San Diego, graduating Cum Laude in the top 6% of his class. While in law school, he was a member of Law Review and received the American Jurisprudence Award in Insurance Law.

In 1992, Mr. Classen began his practice at Knapp, Petersen & Clarke, a large Los Angeles defense firm. While there, he co-authored an article entitled “Rollback Regulations Under Prop. 103: Will the California Supreme Court Uphold Them?”, Federation of Regulatory Counsel Quarterly Journal, Winter Quarter, December 3, 1993.

Mr. Classen is a member of the California State Bar, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel. He is admitted to practice in all of the State Courts of California and the U.S. District Court – Central District. His practice primarily includes the defense of premises liability, products liability, multi-party construction defect litigation, security guard defense, toxic torts, insurance coverage and general business litigation.