History of the Firm

Started in a storefront office near the four corners of Red Hook, New York, in 1973, Klose & Associates has been offering legal services to residents of the community for over thirty years. The firm’s founding member, Woody N. Klose, moved to Dutchess County in 1943 at the age of four, when his parents purchased a local farm. He graduated from Red Hook Central High (1956), and Cornell University in 1960 (B.S.), and then served in the U.S. Air Force before joining a Poughkeepsie radio station, WKIP, while attending Albany Law School (J.D. 1972).

He practiced law in the closely-knit community until his death in September 2004, rendering legal advice with human compassion, equally at home with farmers and shopkeepers, bank executives and corporate presidents. In addition to serving his clients, Woody Klose was also elected to serve as a Dutchess County legislator (1988-2003), where he was the Chairman from 1996-1999. Woody also served as a founding member of the Red Hook Agricultural Advisory Committee; a founding member of the Red Hook Foundation for Excellence in Public Education; president of the Red Hook Society for the Apprehension and Detention of Horse Thieves; and as Deputy Town Supervisor for the Town of Red Hook. 

The legacy of his country law practice continues at our little red law office located at 35 East Market Street, Red Hook, with Woody’s son, Peter Klose. Peter graduated from Red Hook Central School (1985), Cornell University (B.S. 1989), and New England School of Law (J.D. 1993). After honing his skills at large New York City firms, including Wilson, Elser, Moskowitz, Edelman & Dicker, LLP, Peter opened a law office in White Plains, New York, in 1999; and a second in Nyack, New York, in 2003, while assisting his father with all litigated matters.

At Wilson, Elser et al, Peter worked as a litigation associate focusing on diverse practice areas, including defense of product liability, general liability, environmental contamination, and toxic tort litigation. He defended scaffold suppliers in accident cases at large construction sites under the N.Y.S. Labor Law 240; defended municipalities from environmental claims under federal statutes; defended motor vehicle accident cases; and litigated various zoning and land use issues in the New York Metropolitan and Hudson Valley region, including the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, Bronx, Kings, and New York.

Peter’s practice now encompasses diverse practice areas, including real estate litigation, real estate transactions, professional malpractice (legal malpractice, accountant malpractice, and medical malpractice), business law , copyrights and trademarks, personal injury, insurance law, and wills and probate matters. He has represented individuals and companies in negotiating purchase and sale agreements for franchises and other businesses; has defended adverse possession litigation (seeking possession of real estate); has defended and prosecuted professional malpractice actions, including legal malpractice; has represented clients in condominium board litigation; and has handled various types of commercial and construction litigation cases. Peter’s litigation matters also have also included complex appeals, including appeals to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, and a petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.

Our firm offers a full range of legal services to individuals and businesses, including business entity formation, contract preparation and negotiation, litigation, buying and selling personal and business assets, and wills and estate matters. Our areas of practice include business law, communications law, environmental law, insurance law, intellectual property law (trademark and copyright), personal injury, professional malpractice (accountant, legal, medical), real estate law and estate matters.

We have developed the network and experience required to fully support your needs, no matter how varied or complex, and offer you dedicated and responsive service throughout the Hudson Valley and New York metropolitan region.

For further information on how an experienced upstate New York lawyer, such as Peter Klose, can assist you with your real estate transaction, trademark or copyright issue, or professional malpractice issue, and for a free confidential consultation, call (845) 727-7727 , or contact us online. Put our experience to work for you.