Chris Valletta is a successful veteran litigator, experienced in defending high-exposure cases. He has secured defense verdicts in multi-million-dollar matters in both state and federal court. A Staten Island native, he prides himself on connecting with clients on a personal level.
Chris began his career in public service, first with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office and then with the New York City Law Department (Corporation Counsel), where he built an unusually deep courtroom foundation early in his career. He later served as in-house counsel for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, overseeing aviation, transportation, and high-stakes tort matters that required technical fluency; multi-agency coordination; and the ability to transform complex fact patterns into clear, defensible narratives.
In both his NYC Law Department and Port Authority roles, he also handled federal §1983 civil-rights defense matters and worked closely with NYPD and PAPD on investigative and operational issues. While at the Port Authority, he also gained additional experience in employment-related arbitration and discrimination matters, which broadened his litigation judgment and sharpened his contract-analysis and interpretation skills. Over the course of his career, he has completed nearly thirty jury trials to verdict and has handled hundreds of depositions.
In private practice, Chris draws on that breadth to make challenging, high-value cases manageable. He has extensive experience working with experts across medical, engineering, aviation, and other technical disciplines, and he is known for distilling dense issues into clean, analytical, and effective defense positions. In cases that do not proceed to trial, Chris is also an effective negotiator who has resolved significant matters on favorable terms for his clients. And in each such situation, Chris is recognized for his strong interpersonal skills and practical, client-centered approach. He gives individual and corporate clients he clear guidance; consistent communication; and genuine support throughout the litigation process.
Chris’s mix of trial experience, negotiation skill, complex-case judgment, and real-world operational insight making him a trusted advocate for clients facing complex civil and challenging litigation— with particular emphasis on the transport industry.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the city’s restaurant scene, cheering on his favorite sports teams, and taking in New York’s theater and cultural offerings.
