Basch & Keegan, LLP
307 Clinton Ave
Kingston, NY 12401
(845) 338-8884 www.baschkeegan.com
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.
Education:
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.
Teaching Engagements:
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
Awards and Accolades:
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.
Admissions:
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