Derek Asiedu-Akrofi is legal practitioner with over 35 years’ experience in academia and international commercial law practice. His experience spans the USA, UK, Ghana, and several other African countries.

He is currently as Partner at Akrofi & Akrofi, P.C., Attorneys at Law, in Los Angeles, USA, an international business law and immigration practice where he is responsible for directing and managing contract negotiations and drafting of agreements, provision of advisory services for clients involved in domestic and international business transactions, preparation of various motions, trial and appellate briefs for submission before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

He also acts as Special Advisor to Chief Executive Officer at AfriFinance, LLC in New York and provides trusted advice to the Chief Executive Officer on a broad range of Legal, Business, International and Domestic Business Opportunities and Issues. He additionally acts as the International Law Advisor, Middle East Securities Training Center in Bahrain where he advises on the design and content of capacity building training programs in International Business, Money Laundering and Financial Fraud.

Prior to his current roles, he acted as a Consultant for the Kuwait Investment Authority in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The role involved the design and delivery of management training programs on anti-money laundering controls and financial fraud. He also acts as Legal Counsel for the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. advising on Trade and Investment regimes in several Sub-Sahara Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, South Asia and Eastern Europe. Prior to the IMF he was an associate at Osaheni Uzamere & Co., Legal Practitioners, Benin City, Nigeria. He has also held several consulting roles in various jurisdictions.

He sits on the boards of the London Petroleum and Chemical PLC, London, Consortium for Belizean Development and New Designs Charter School, Los Angeles, USA.
Derek has held numerous roles in academia; namely;

  • Visiting Lecturer, Legal Consultant and Course Director, International Law Institute, Washington, DC where he was part of a legal team that provided advisory and institutional development services to senior government officials from various countries. The team designed and conducted regular seminars on various topics for senior government officials and private sector practitioners from emerging and developed economies. Areas of focus included Bank Regulation and Governance, Privatization and Public Enterprise Restructuring, Joint Ventures, Transfer of Technology, External Debt Management and International Loan Negotiation. Beneficiary countries included: Albania, Brunei, Russia, Ghana, Greece, Taiwan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Mali, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Cote d’Ivoire, Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mexico, India, Singapore, Philippines and Russia.
  • Lecturer, College of Business Administration, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA.
  • Senior Research Fellow & Geoffrey Wilson Fellow in Law, University of Warwick School of Law, Coventry, UK. Taught Courses in Corporate Finance, Law and International Business Transactions, and International Economic Law (GATT, WTO and International Financial Institutions).
  • Associate Professor of Law, Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, USA taught causes included International Trade Law, International Law and Development, International Banking and Finance, Banking Law; Trademark Law, European Union Law.
  • Adjunct Professor of International Law, Tuft University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Medford, MA, USA. Taught Courses in: Legal Aspects of the Development of International Resources (International Contracts); Legal Aspects of IMF/World Bank Operations.
  • Lecturer in Law, Morrin Center for Banking Law Studies, Boston University School of Law Boston, USA. Taught Legal Aspects of Development Financing on LLM Program.

He holds a J.S.D. Doctor of the Science of Law, from Columbia University School of Law, New York Specialization – International Law and International Banking and Monetary Law; LL.M, Master of Laws, Columbia University of Law, New York, Specialization – International Law, LL.M , Master of Laws, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, Specialization – International Law; and LL.B (Hons) Bachelor of Laws, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria. He has various academic publications and awards under his belt. He is an alumni of Mfantsipim School.

He is a member of the American Society of International Law, New York State Bar Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association and American Immigration Lawyers Association.