ABOUT US
Casey DiPaola, Director of Intended Parent Services
Joe Williams, Director of Surrogate Services
New York Surrogacy Center was created by Casey Copps DiPaola and Joe Williams, attorneys with the law firm Copps DiPaola Silverman, PLLC, which is well-known for its experience in surrogacy and other forms of assisted reproduction (egg, sperm, and embryo donation). Casey serves as the Director of Intended Parent Services for NYSC, and Joe serves as the Director of Surrogate Services.
Casey and Joe tirelessly advocated for the passage of the New York Child-Parent Security Act (CPSA), the law which legalized compensated surrogacy in New York State, for several years, and were actively involved in the drafting and revising of the legislation, including lobbying for its passage at the State Capitol. Casey also volunteers for Resolve Advocacy Days to help lobby for other legislative changes that will make surrogacy more accessible and affordable for all intended parents.
Although compensated surrogacy was prohibited in New York until the CPSA passed in 2020, Casey has been handling compassionate (uncompensated) surrogacy cases in New York, as well as egg, sperm, and embryo donation matters for many years. Casey has also been handling compensated surrogacy matters in Vermont since 2015 and in New Jersey since 2019. Casey is licensed to practice law in all three states and combined, Casey has handled more than one hundred assisted reproduction cases.
Casey is also an ART (Assisted Reproduction Technology) Fellow of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys. The Academy is a credentialed, non-profit organization of attorneys, judges, and law professionals dedicated to the competent and ethical practice of adoption and assisted reproduction law. Its mission is to advocate for laws and policies to protect the best interests of children, the legal status of families formed through adoption and assisted reproduction, and the rights of all interested parties.
Casey is also a member of the American Society for Reproduction Medicine (ASRM). ASRM is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. Membership in ASRM allows New York Surrogacy Center to stay abreast of developments in the field of reproductive medicine and to ensure that our surrogacy process complies with the best practices recommended by ASRM.
Casey is the current President of New York Attorneys for Adoption & Family Formation (NYAAFF) and Joe is the current Treasurer and Legislative Committee Chair. NYAAFF is a group of adoption and assisted reproduction law attorneys and other child-welfare professionals from across New York State, who work with families, birth parents, adoption agencies, children, child welfare agencies and the court system to protect and advocate for the rights of adoptive children, children born through assisted reproduction and their families.
New York Surrogacy Center is a member of the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, which is a group of agencies that sets best standards for providing ethical services to all parties involved in the surrogacy process, including surrogates, intended parents and fertility clinics.
Casey and Joe oversee every aspect of the surrogacy journey, allowing them to provide personalized, attentive services to all participants in the surrogacy process.
Our Team
Melissa Reynolds, Case Manager
Melissa understands the struggles that many people endure while trying to become parents. In 2015, she suffered the stillbirth of her twin boys, Liam and Jonah, followed by three additional losses. These experiences have provided Melissa with great compassion and empathy for others who long to become parents. Melissa still has great hope that she will bring a baby home one day, and she could not be more excited to help others experience the same.
As a Case Manager, Melissa works with our surrogate and intended parents from the time they are matched until the end of their journey. She will help coordinate the medical and psychological screening process, make all travel arrangements, assist with applications for various insurance policies, coordinate with the legal team and help plan for the hospital stay.
Lexis Carista, Case Manager
Lexi oversees every aspect of the surrogacy journey from match until after childbirth for each one of her cases. Lexis joined the New York Surrogacy Center because the work truly excited her. The thought of helping to allow someone the opportunity to build a family and experience parenthood is incredible. Lexi also loves getting to know the stories behind what brought them to embark on their surrogacy journey, and what their hopes are for after this experience.
Tyler Best, Program Coordinator
Tyler works alongside Casey, our Director of Intended Parent Services, and Joe, our Director of Surrogate Services. She schedules consultation appointments and assists with the pre-screening process for both our surrogates and intended parents. She is thrilled to be a part of the NYSC team and the thought of helping someone gain the love of a child when they may not have been able to otherwise brings her absolute joy. Tyler has experience working as a paralegal on the legal aspect of Surrogacy/Assisted Reproductive Technology cases and she is extremely excited to become more intimately involved with the parties as they move through this touching process.
