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. Education: 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. Teaching Engagements: Derek has taught the following topics at continuing legal education courses: How to Lay a Foundation to Get Your Evidence Introduced, October 2021 Civil Trial Case Presentation, August 2020 Personal Injury Evidence: Social Media, Smartphones, Experts and Medical Records, June 2018 Plaintiff’s Personal Injury from Start to Finish, June 2017

Bio As a co-founder and partner at Basch & Keegan, Maureen A. Keegan (Moe) has practiced personal injury law exclusively since 1986. Maureen’s areas of practice include all aspects of civil litigation, medical malpractice, wrongful death, automobile and trucking claims, product and premises liability. Initially, Ms. Keegan worked for a medical malpractice defense firm in New York City. Based in Kingston for the last 30 years, Moe has successfully represented clients throughout the Hudson Valley, greater New York City, and Capital District areas. Before studying law, Keegan worked as a Pharmacist and a Pharmacy Resident at Johns Hopkins and at other teaching hospitals in New York State. She has been a Super Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer of New York State. Over the years, Keegan has successfully represented thousands of injury victims and is widely known as a successful and knowledgeable attorney in the Hudson Valley. She is active in local community and bar associations. Basch & Keegan’s philanthropic support is well known in Ulster and Dutchess Counties. The firm was honored by SUNY Ulster and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley. In addition, Basch & Keegan collects for the pantry of People’s Place at Thanksgiving time. They have supported the Jewish Federation’s Fall for Art for more than 20 years and support the Ulster County Bar Association’s Adopt a Star program at Christmas. There are dozens of other excellent philanthropic groups that benefit from Basch & Keegan donations. Moe, a native Long Islander, has enjoyed making the Hudson Valley her home for the past 30+ years. She and her husband Dave have two children, Ryan and Jane, who both graduated from Kingston High School. Jane is currently teaching math at Brooklyn Tech, and Ryan was awarded an MBA from Stanford in June, 2021. Moe enjoys the outdoors and is an active sculler and member of the Rondout Row Club. She and Dave enjoy travelling and exploring the hike and bike trails in Ulster, Dutchess, Greene and Columbia County.

Kingston native, Eli B. Basch, has been helping Ulster County injury victims for over forty-five years. He has dedicated his career to helping injury victims and the families of individuals who were injured or killed in Ulster County and the Hudson Valley car accidents, tractor-trailer accidents, falls, fires, explosions, recreational accidents, boating accidents, plane crashes, construction accidents, defective products, and medical negligence. Mr. Basch is widely regarded as one of the most experienced and successful personal injury attorneys in Upstate New York. With over 300 trial verdicts and more than 6,000 settlements to his credit, Eli has represented injured clients in more trials than any other personal injury lawyer currently practicing in Ulster County. In fact, he has represented more injured clients than any other lawyer in the history of Ulster County. Eli Basch has been named a Super Lawyer of Upstate New York by Super Lawyers Magazine since 2011, and he’s been recognized among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers of New York State since 2007. His reputation has earned him a position on the Governor’s Screening Committee for Judicial Appointments, and he previously served on the Committee for Professional Standards in the Third Judicial Department from 1998 to 2004. Mr. Basch resides with his wife Susan in Kingston, less than two miles from his office. Mr. Basch welcomes the opportunity to sit down and visit with you to discuss how he can help you receive both physical and legal advice on your personal injuries or a wrongful death of your loved one. He can also represent you in a property or insurance claim.

“When a client selects our office to represent them, it is a great honor. Our clients trust us to navigate them through the rigors of a high-stakes legal system. There is nothing more professionally satisfying to me than rewarding that trust by achieving a successful result.” Tim is experienced in all areas of complex litigation and alternative dispute resolution and focuses his practice on medical malpractice, personal injury, and appellate law. A partner in Phelan, Phelan & Danek and head of the Appellate Law practice, his strength is a comprehensive knowledge of the law and understanding of the legal process. Prior to entering private practice, Tim served as an Appellate Court Attorney for the Appellate Division Third Department. This experience provided him an insider's perspective of the different courts, and how the court decision process works. He has been with Phelan, Phelan & Danek from the beginning, and values its big firm experience, small firm relationships, and the family environment. Tim is very active with his family and community. He serves as Board President with Niskayuna Youth Football & Cheerleading, works with the Niskayuna Town Parks & Recreation Committee, and coaches his daughter's travel softball team. Married for 14 years to his high school sweetheart Jessica, he has 3 children, softball player Cadence, 11, footballer Brooks, 10, and 6-year-old Lilly, who specializes in 'trouble'. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. I received a call from a 10 year old girl who broke her wrists using monkey bars at school.  After falling, her teacher declined to let her see the nurse and she completed the school day.  She was healing well, but several attorneys turned down her case believing that her damages were limited.  The School District’s insurance company claimed that they were only responsible for a couple of hours of pain and suffering and offered nuisance value.  I took the case and sued the School District for depriving the child of her civil rights under 42 U.S.C. section 1983, by depriving the child of her basic human right to medical care.  The case settled quickly after that for a substantial settlement. How did you build a successful practice? The cornerstone of my practice, as with most, is to listen specifically to my client’s needs.  I believe what sets my practice apart, is creativity in designing approaches to reach a client’s goals using all available avenues.  To achieve this goal, I have developed expertise in all means available.  From trial to alternative dispute resolution, I have the expertise to achieve the goals of my clients in the means that best suits their objectives. What should clients look for in a lawyer? First and foremost, clients should look for an experienced lawyer who listens to them and understands their core objectives.  I believe that a fundamental component to the lawyer’s job is to ensure that he or she understands exactly what the client’s objectives are.  Once the objectives are clearly identified, the attorney’s responsibility to provide the client with available options to achieve that goal and an honest evaluation of the case. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? During our initial telephone conversation, we will discuss the aspects of your case and get an understanding of not only what happened, but what you would like to have happen moving forward.  At this point, we will determine if my firm is an appropriate match for you.  If so, we will make a plan to meet and discuss what materials, if necessary, we should review as we continue to develop a plan. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? During the initial telephone conversation, clients should be prepared to generally discuss the nature of their case and be prepared with as many details as possible.  We need to know what happened, and how it has impacted you.  In addition, we need to know the timing of the occurrences that give rise to your potential claim.  Time may be of the essence, so please call as soon as possible.  We are here and ready to help you. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? What differentiates me from other lawyers in this field is the perspectives on the law and the system that I have honed over the course of my career.  One of the keys to the development of my practice was my time as a clerk with the Appellate Division, Third Department.  Not only was I exposed to several types of cases while there, but I gained the valuable and rare perspective of the cases from the Court’s view.  Using these experiences, I have endeavored to create a practice model that is friendly to the Court’s needs.  I find that this approach has been helpful to achieve client goals. What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? The most rewarding part of my job is the satisfaction that I take away from making a difference in my client’s lives.  Clients come to our firm with a need, and often in distress.  We work hard to reach a conclusion of their case that meets their needs and improves their lives.  The opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of others is what sparked my interest in the law years ago and still fuels my practice today. What are your other interests in addition to law? I am an active volunteer in the Community.  I have four children and coach youth football.

Litigation attorney since 1983 specializing in all facets of trial work with over 125 jury verdicts in that time period representing both defendants and plaintiffs.

Christopher R. Burke has been living in the Capital District since 2002. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, Class of 2006, and Albany Law School Class of 2010. During law school, Chris was a law clerk at Grasso, Rodriquez & Grasso. Upon graduating from Albany Law School and being admitted to the New York State Bar, Grasso, Rodriguez & Grasso hired him on as an associate. In 2013, Chris was made a partner at Grasso, Rodriguez & Grasso, creating Grasso, Rodriguez, Grasso & Burke. Chris was the first person named partner in over 15 years. Chris handles a wide range of cases but focuses his practice on Personal Injury litigation as well as Real Estate transactions. Chris currently resides in Niskayuna with his wife and two sons.