Derek J. Spada was born in Kingston, raised in Saugerties, and currently resides in Woodstock. He has successfully concluded thousands of personal injury cases since becoming an attorney. Mr. Spada is often assigned the most complex aspects of personal injury cases. He is highly regarded by his peers and has become an especially accomplished appellate attorney.
Mr. Spada received his Bachelor of Arts from the College of Saint Rose, Magna Cum Laude, in 1999 and Juris Doctor from Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University in 2002. He also studied abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England.
In law school, Mr. Spada was a member of the Cardozo Moot Court Honor Society from 2000-2002. While a member of Moot Court, he was the Northeast Regional Winner and Winner of the Best Brief Award in the Giles Sutherland Rich Moot Court Competition in Boston, MA, and advanced to semifinalist in the national Giles Sutherland Rich competition held in Washington, D.C. He also clerked for Hon. George B. Daniels in the Federal Southern District of New York.
At graduation, Mr. Spada was awarded the Jacob Burns Medal for Best Brief, which is given to the best writer on the Moot Court Honor Society.
Mr. Spada has taught the following topics at continuing legal education courses:
Plaintiff's Personal Injury from Start to Finish, June 2017
Statutes Which Affect Liability Evaluation
Basics of Civil Practice and Procedure
Litigating Slip, Trip, and Fall Cases in New York, December 2016
Handling Medicare Set-Asides and Third Party Liens
Voir Dire and Jury Selection, March 2015
Jury Selection Strategy
Applying the Rules of Evidence: What Every Attorney Needs to Know, May 2014
Determining Admissibility
Litigating Automobile Accident Cases, July 2012
Key Elements of Underinsured and Supplemental Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage
After only four years in practice, Derek J. Spada received Martindale-Hubbell's highest peer review rating: AV Preeminent. He has since received the following honors:
Top 100 Trial Lawyers of New York State by the National Trial Lawyers Association
Top 10 Under 40 by the National Academy of Trial Attorneys
Top 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association
10 Best Attorneys in new York State by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
Top 10 in New York State in client satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys
10.0 Avvo rating (the highest rating)
Super Lawyers Rising Star
Mr. Spada is a two-term President of the Ulster County Bar Association and previously served as the Treasurer for several years. He is the Chairman of the Ulster County Board of Ethics. Additionally, Mr. Spada is a member of the Character and Fitness Committee of the Third Judicial Department and a member of the Civil Appeals Settlement Program Advisory Committee of the Third Judicial Department.
New York State Bar
Connecticut Bar
Northern District of New York Federal Court
Southern District of New York Federal Court
Professional Affiliations & Memberships:
Ulster County Bar Association
National Trial Lawyers Association
American Association for Justice
New York State Bar Association
New York State Trial Lawyers Association
Ulster County Board of Ethics
Friends of the Senate House
