Michael Bast

Mr. Bast is proud of his legal accomplishments. He lives and breathes the landmark case of Dray v. Staten Island University Hospital. A doctor performed cesarean section surgery on an obstetrical patient against her will. After researching the case, Mr. Bast knew the doctor’s decision was wrong, and women around the country faced the same injustices.

The case is still in litigation a decade after the incident but making a difference one step at a time. Mr. Bast helped publicize the story and gave testimony before the New York City Council. Now, teachers around the country teach the Dray case in law schools, medical schools, ethics, and sociology classes. Additionally, Northwell Health changed its written policy, the NYS Department of Health issued a deficiency against the hospital, and the ACOG updated its professional guidelines. In 2021, the New York City Commission on Human Rights updated its official printed examples of discriminatory conduct to include a “hospital policy [which] allows medical providers to override the informed consent of a patient with the capacity to provide consent only when the patient is pregnant.”

Mr. Bast is a member of the New York State Academy of Trial Lawyers and the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He appeared on CBS TV, the New York Times, the New York Post, the Daily News, Le Monde, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, Slate, Lillith, Gothamist, Elle, Huffington Post, The Nation, Jezebel, Daily Beast, and other publications in connection with the Dray Case. He also appeared on the radio and gave a CLE on the case.