Attorney, Balch & Bingham, LLP, Birmingham, Alabama
Derek Brice chose to major in nuclear engineering at Oregon State University after reading engineering disciplines descriptions in the World Book Encyclopedia. He was fascinated by the potential of nuclear fusion to provide electricity for centuries with little environmental impact. After graduation, Brice worked at both of the commercial nuclear power plants in the Northwest: Portland General Electric’s Trojan Nuclear Plant and Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station in Richland, Wash.“My engineering education at Oregon State taught me how to solve problems in an organized and disciplined way,” says Brice.
He went on to earn a master’s degree in business and technology management from Washington State University in 2002. After earning his law degree from the University of Southern California in 2005, Brice practiced patent litigation with two prominent international firms in Los Angeles, Calif., and Houston, Texas. Brice now works in the energy group at the law firm of Balch & Bingham, where he is part of the team that supports clients in nuclear licensing, commercial, and litigation matters, including the licensing of the first commercial reactor approved for construction in the United States in more than 30 years.
Degrees
- M.S. Nuclear Engineering, 1998
- B.S. Nuclear Engineering, 1995