Mr. Derek J. Spada

Derek J. Spada was born in Kingston, raised in Saugerties, and currently resides in Woodstock with his wife and two children.

Derek is a result-oriented attorney who works hard to obtain justice for his clients. He has a unique skillset that has enabled him to become an accomplished trial and appellate attorney. He has successfully resolved thousands of personal injury cases in his career and obtained multiple jury verdicts in excess of $1,000,000. He has also handled more than 100 appeals in the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals.

Derek is highly regarded by his peers. He has been voted President of the Ulster County Bar Association for an unprecedented three terms, served as the Chair of the Ulster Country Board of Ethics since 2016, and been a member of the Character and Fitness Committee for the Third Judicial Department since 2013. Derek has also coached his son's Little League baseball team for several years.

Derek 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, Derek 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, Derek was awarded the Jacob Burns Medal for Best Brief, which is given to the best writer on the Moot Court Honor Society.

After only four years in practice, Derek 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 AssociationTop 10 Under 40 by the National Academy of Trial AttorneysTop 40 Under 40 by the National Trial Lawyers Association10 Best Attorneys in New York State by the American Institute of Personal Injury AttorneysTop 10 in New York State in client satisfaction by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys10.0 Avvo rating (the highest rating)Super Lawyers Rising Star: 2013 - 2017Super Lawyers: 2018 - 20212021 Chronogrammy Winner, Basch & Keegan Best Law Firm of the Hudson Valley