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.
Click here to view a webcast of Mr. Spada from the New York Court of Appeals.
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:
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.
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
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
Admissions:
Professional Affiliations & Memberships:
