Christopher Baione

Christopher J. Baione grew up in Staten Island within miles of the Fresh Kills Landfill, where debris from the World Trade Center site was processed and victims’ remains were recovered in the months following September 11, 2001. In his own neighborhood, he saw first responders and recovery workers return home from Ground Zero and related sites, and in the years that followed, he watched many of those same individuals develop serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure.

That experience echoed something already familiar in Christopher’s family. He is named after his grandfather, FDNY Lieutenant Christopher J. Baione, who died of cancer attributed to inadequate safety protections during a major fire decades earlier. Seeing similar consequences emerge for another generation of responders shaped his decision to devote his legal career to representing members of the 9/11 community.

He is now a founding partner of Pitta & Baione LLP, and has focused his entire professional practice on claims before the federal 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. In that role, he represents responders, survivors, and their families throughout New York State, meeting clients in offices, hospitals, and private homes as circumstances require. He oversees all phases of VCF claims, from eligibility and damages development through evidentiary hearings and appeals, and has recovered tens of millions of dollars for claimants, including significant awards for law enforcement officers and union members suffering from advanced cancers and other disabling conditions.

Christopher regularly speaks with unions and community organizations about 9/11-related illnesses and federal benefit programs. His work has been recognized by Super Lawyers (New York Metro Rising Stars, 2018–2025), Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2022–2024, 2026), and Avvo’s Clients’ Choice Award. He has also been featured in regional and national media covering issues affecting the 9/11 community.