Derrick brings more than 20 years of legal experience to KCT Legal. He has advised clients across a wide range of industries on property, commercial and corporate matters, with a particular focus on asset creation, wealth protection and estate planning.
Derrick has built a practice centred on helping clients structure, grow and safeguard their wealth and businesses. He draws on deep technical knowledge and strong commercial judgment to design practical, tailored solutions that protect assets, support long-term goals and give clients greater confidence about the future.
Clients value Derrick as a steady, trusted adviser. He guides both corporate and private clients through complex and sometimes sensitive matters with a pragmatic and outcome-focused approach. He prioritises clear communication, takes the time to understand each client’s circumstances and works collaboratively so that clients feel informed, supported and able to make decisions with confidence.
Derrick has owned and led his own legal practices since 2013. This first-hand business experience gives him a practical understanding of the pressures, risks and competing priorities that clients face in running and growing a business. It informs his focus on realistic, workable solutions rather than abstract advice and keeps his guidance grounded in real-world experience rather than theory.
He believes endurance and consistency are central to meaningful business and entrepreneurial success. That perspective underpins his approach to client service. Derrick recognises that both life and work will inevitably present challenges, but that resilience, consistency and perseverance through difficult periods often lead to the most important breakthroughs and achievements for his clients.
His dedication to client service has attracted a loyal and diverse client base. Derrick regularly advises high net worth individuals and family groups, foreign investors entering or expanding in the Australian market, multinational corporations and SMEs across different sectors. Many of these relationships are longstanding, reflecting the trust placed in his judgment and his measured approach.
Derrick is also committed to supporting the next generation of lawyers. He mentors junior solicitors and graduates, encouraging the development of strong technical skills, commercial awareness and professional confidence. Colleagues value his considered guidance and his willingness to share insights and lessons learned from years of practice and business ownership.
His vision for KCT Legal is to combine high quality legal work with practical insight and enduring relationships. He is focused on positioning the firm as a trusted, long-term adviser to both businesses and individuals, helping clients navigate legal complexity with clarity while pursuing their strategic and personal goals.
Derrick holds a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University and can converse in Mandarin Chinese.
Outside the law, he enjoys travelling and seeking out different cultures, perspectives and experiences.
Some of Derrick’s notable experiences include:
Negotiating and advising on the sale of a 20-level commercial office building in Melbourne for approximately AUD $135 million.
Negotiating and advising on the sale of a Melbourne shopping centre comprising both retail and commercial office spaces for approximately AUD $40 million.
Negotiating and advising on the sale and leasing of multiple shops and office suites, involving complex transactions within the Docklands precinct over a 7-year period for approximately AUD $7 million.
Securing favourable leasing outcomes for retail shopping centres and commercial office buildings and advising on various leasing matters on an ongoing basis.
Advising on the restructuring of the Australian asset holdings of foreign family groups to better protect and optimise their portfolios.
Facilitating the acquisition of farmland and associated export-focused business operations.
Providing comprehensive legal support to food and beverage operators in Victoria and South Australia, including structuring, licensing, leasing, compliances, and broader commercial arrangements.
Advising a multinational commercial builder in relation to leasing and complex financing arrangements.
Acting as legal counsel for the financing of a multi-level residential development for approximately AUD $50 million.
Overseeing the acquisition of an industrial property located in the south-east region of Melbourne's Central Business District for approximately AUD $22 million and advising on structuring, financing and leasing matters.
Overseeing the negotiation and finalisation of loans for high net worth individuals totalling approximately AUD $110 million.
These experiences reflect Derrick’s careful, detail-focused approach, technical capability and unwavering commitment to protecting his clients’ interests and supporting their goals and long-term success.
