Derek Cowan

Derek Cowan is an attorney with DeWitt, Paruolo & Meek, a firm whose current practice includes civil litigation, insurance law, and insurance bad faith. His professional background includes work as regulatory and compliance counsel for a national life insurance company and earlier experience as a senior claims adjuster for a major property and casualty insurer, providing substantial exposure to insurance operations and claims handling.

Cowan combines legal education with an earlier honors degree in the arts and extensive pre-law insurance experience. He earned a B.F.A. with Honors from the University of Oklahoma in 1995 and a J.D. cum laude from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 2013, where he participated in law review and won the school’s first-year appellate moot court competition.

Cowan’s verified background includes insurance regulation, compliance, and claims adjustment before entering private legal practice. Cowan is admitted in Oklahoma and before the federal district courts for the Northern, Eastern, and Western Districts of Oklahoma, as well as the Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Oklahoma. His published work has addressed cyber loss, reflecting professional attention to evolving risks that can affect insurance coverage and claims.

Derek Cowan brings direct insurance-industry experience to legal work within a litigation-focused firm. His background provides practical familiarity with insurer operations, regulatory expectations, and claim evaluation alongside formal legal training and federal court admissions. He is positioned to analyze disputes involving insurance issues through the perspective of prior compliance and claims roles, while applying litigation skills developed after entering the Oklahoma Bar.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, DeWitt, Paruolo, and Meek Attorneys
• Member, Oklahoma Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, Oklahoma County Bar Association
• Member, Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity

Licensed State

• Oklahoma

Education

• Oklahoma City University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Oklahoma
  Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Awards & Badges