Derrick Mills was raised in a small town in Alabama, where being a good person, a good student and a hard worker was important to him. He learned that the trust of those around him was something to be earned.

"My mother taught me about trust – to earn the trust of those you work with and those for whom you work. Trust is the basis for all good relationships."

Along with his mother, the now-deceased U.S. Senator Howell Heflin took Mills under his wing and imparted an education that will always be with him. Senator Heflin showed Mills how the law related to everyday life.

He gives much credit to his other mentors: his high school football coach, his high school principals, federal Judge U.W. Clemon (for whom he clerked) and others.

"President Potts at the University of North Alabama showed me how to tie a tie. That’s pretty important when you stand before a judge," he chuckles.

Mills colleagues at Marsh, Rickard & Bryan, P.C., taught him that to fully understand a client’s problems, it is necessary to be able to put himself in their situation. "I want the client to trust and believe me from the first time we meet. It’s a primary goal here at MRB and I believe we honor our clients and each other. My values are a natural fit here at MRB."