Maverick commercial real estate attorney, Derek Pershing, BBA/MBA ‘10, made the list! Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 list honors exceptional business and community leaders.

Pershing, with the Wilson Cribbs + Goren law firm, broke through 800 nominations and more than 400 applications to receive the award. At the finish line, he joins honorees that include founders, CEOs and other leaders of both for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations. The list encompasses a former professional soccer player, a brewmaster, a psychologist and a co-creator of a podcast network, just to name a few.

All nominees reside in the 10-county Houston area and were under 40 years of age as of Dec. 31, 2019. A panel of judges from across industries scored the nominees on leadership, overcoming challenges and community involvement.

Pershing's Background

Pershing, a military veteran who hails from Great Falls, Montana, finished the five-year BBA/MBA in three years at UST with a concentration in finance. Cameron School of Business Professor of Finance, Joe Ueng, still stays in touch with Pershing and says this about him. “Derek was our outstanding graduate in finance. That year, he was also the recipient of the prestigious Financial Executive International (FEI) scholarship. Derek later joined the BBA/ MBA program. Upon his graduation from UST, he continued his study at the South Texas College of Law to pursue his J.D. degree. Derek was always actively involved in community service and volunteer activities. This is a well-deserved recognition,” Ueng said.

Pershing also obtained a Transactional Law Practice Certificate in Real Estate upon graduation from law school. For the last seven years, he has practiced real estate law at Wilson Cribbs + Goren.

Pershing acknowledges the value of holding both an MBA and a JD. “Although I didn’t do the actual JD/MBA Joint Degree from UST and South Texas College of Law Houston, I can attest that having both degrees has provided me many advantages in my career and my personal life,” he said. “It is one thing to be able to think like a lawyer, but it adds another dimension to be able to think like a business person. This gives me the capability to covey complex legal concepts and risks to the business people that actually hire me.”

Attend the HBJ Event to Celebrate Derek 

Ever so humbly, he says he doesn’t consider himself a trailblazer. “I am just willing to put in the hard work that is necessary to service our clients well,” he said. “I also try to find ways to give back. In addition to my full-time law practice, I am an adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law Houston, where I teach a capstone Transactional Real Estate Course to third year students.”

Pershing is the second UST alumnus to be included in Houston Business Journal’s 40 under 40. Marty Thompson ‘XX was honored in 2010. Thompson earned an international studies degree and served as alumni president in XXXX. The Class of 2020 will be recognized in the HBJ's Oct. 30 weekly edition and celebrated during a live broadcast on Oct. 29. Click here for more information and to register for the event.