Chris has been representing clients in litigated workers’ compensation matters throughout the State of New Jersey for 27 years. During that time, he has handled literally thousands of workers’ compensation cases involving everything from car accidents to multi-respondent occupational disease claims. He has a reputation for obtaining the absolute best results for his clients.
Chris has a vast amount of experience as a workers’ compensation trial lawyer. Accordingly, he is Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Workers’ Compensation Law Attorney which is a designation held by only a select group of attorneys state-wide. Chris has held this certification since 2007 and was recently re-certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2022.
He also has a wealth of appellate experience and literally helped shape the law in New Jersey in reported decisions such as Stroka v. United Airlines, 364 N.J. Super. 333 (App. Div. 2003), cert. denied, 179 N.J. 313 (2004) involving the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001.
He is admitted to practice in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Chris co-founded Pietras Saracino Smith & Meeks, LLP in 2003. Chris partnered with Attorney, Jim Pietras, to form the firm limiting their practice to workers’ compensation litigation.
Chris grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and is a graduate, cum laude, of Villanova University (1993), and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (1996).
Prior to entering private practice, Chris served as a law clerk to the Honorable Anthony J. Parillo, J.S.C. and Rosemarie R. Williams, J.S.C. in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division in Mercer County. Following law school, Chris was employed by a large South Jersey law firm specializing in workers’ compensation claims where he appeared in every District Office in the State of New Jersey.
Other significant cases that Chris has personally litigated include:
Chiumento v. Camden County, Docket No. A-0613-04T50613-04T5 (App. Div. July 31, 2006);
Huntoon v. Borough of Clementon, Docket No. A-0956-09T3 (App. Div. July 28, 2010); and
McGlinsey v. George H. Buchanan Co., Docket No. A-4653-08T3 (App. Div. September 30, 2010), cert. den. 205 N.J. 102 (2011).
Chris has been a featured lecturer on workers’ compensation law with the New Jersey Association of Justice, Lorman Education Services, and the Council for Education in Management in addition to numerous in-house seminars and classes. He is a member of the American Bar Association, New Jersey State Bar Association (Workers’ Compensation Section), Burlington County Bar Association, and the Camden County Bar Association. He has a wealth of experience in handling claims involving public and private sector employees.
Chris has been recognized in the field of workers’ compensation litigation by various publications, including being selected as a “Top Attorney” in the area of Workers’ Compensation Law by SJ Magazine several years in a row.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending as much time as possible at the Jersey shore.
