DEREK GILMAN

Managing Director and Member

Derek Gilman is Managing Director of Mercure Global LLC.

Previously, Mr. Gilman was General Counsel and Principal Director of the U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), where he was chief legal advisor on over $30 billion annual government-to-government military sales. He also served as Chair of the DoD Offsets Working Group and was DoD counsel on numerous high-profile matters, including Presidential priorities.  He has worked with the European Commission at the Director General level on issues related to U.S.-EU Member State defense trade.

He has also served as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of a satellite solutions company, where he focused on the financing and implementation of satellite projects for foreign sovereigns.

Prior to serving as General Counsel for DSCA, Mr. Gilman was DoD senior counsel for Afghanistan-Pakistan matters, and served as US Government counsel supporting the “reset” summit with Russia. He was also senior DoD counsel for International Armaments Cooperation, where he served as DoD counsel for the negotiation of treaties and numerous international agreements, including those signed at the Presidential level.

He served in Iraq with the Coalition Provisional Authority where, consistent with UN Security Council Resolutions, and in concert with the IMF, World Bank, Iraqi leadership, and Coalition governments, he supervised the revision of 30 Iraqi laws to enable Iraq to transition to a market economy. He was also principal U.S. advisor on the establishment of the war crimes tribunal that tried Saddam Hussein.

Mr. Gilman has been a law firm partner, where he focused on international aerospace and defense, and was selected by one of the largest global banks to serve as an Independent Trustee to fulfill U.S. Government Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)-related requirements for an international merger.  He has also served as an Executive Director with a “Big 4” accounting firm, where he focused on complex international tax matters.

In addition to his Mercure Global responsibilities, Mr. Gilman is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Defense and Aerospace Export Council of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

He has degrees from the U.S. Military Academy (B.S.), University of Connecticut (J.D.), University of Cambridge (M.A.), and New York University (LL.M.).

He is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and an author of the U.S. DoD Law of War Manual.  His awards include the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Award, Office of the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award (2 awards), Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence (2 awards), Department of State Superior Honor Award, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Combat Action Badge.

His public speaking, interview, and media consulting experience includes: the New York Times, CBS, PBS, USA Today, Hartford Courant, Yale Law School, New York University School of Law, The George Washington University Law School, University of Connecticut School of Law, US Naval War College, US Army Legal Center and School, the American Bar Association, American Society of International Law, Aerospace Industries Association, National Defense Industrial Association, Defense Industry Offset Association, Global Offset and Countertrade Association, and Defense Industry Offset Association.