CHRIS BASTARDI
For more than two decades Chris Bastardi has been in the throes of public affairs work in New York.
His pivot from politics to crisis management began in 2008, when he stopped efforts that would have disenfranchised and suppressed Black voters on Long Island, reporting them to the District Attorney. A whistleblower, he had to leave his position in the New York State Senate. Out of a job and with few believing him despite the truth on his side, Chris endured isolation and harassment from a powerful establishment closing its ranks.
Twenty-six at the time, Chris learned at a young age how corruption can impact an investigation, what it is like to lose it all, and how to claw himself back after prosecution via media. He brings this unique kinship to his clients who, facing their darkest hours, need to manage a crisis, leveraging media and stakeholders to see their way through a system that isn’t working the way it should.
Over the years, this proved valuable as he worked with Bridgegate scapegoat Bridget Kelly in the aftermath of her unfair prosecution at the hands of Chris Christie’s former staff in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, managing a media strategy that saw her conviction overturned unanimously by the United States Supreme Court.
Chris also worked with Mary Trump as she released a book and led Mary's efforts to defeat her uncle, President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. In that time, they overcame an unconstitutional restraining order by the president and his family, driving her book Too Much and Never Enough to number one overnight.
His work spans crisis preparedness, creating plans for multinational corporations, skyscrapers, retailers, nonprofits, and events. This has included the Academy Awards®, The GRAMMYs and VAX LIVE: The Concert to Reunite the World, the first stadium concert in the United States following the Covid pandemic.
During the pandemic, Chris helped manage crisis and public affairs matters, including stakeholder engagement, for four hospitals in New York, including Maimonides Medical Center, which required a keen understanding of cultural sensitivities and building trust so that fewer residents in Brooklyn acquired coronavirus.
Chris also handled the aftermath of active shooter situations enabling retailers like Westfield-Garden State Mall to best overcome tragedy at the onset of the holiday season; worked with companies, nonprofits and universities to respond to data breaches; developed strategies for executive transitions; and enabled corporations to withstand malfeasance cases. He has also been a part of provocative Super Bowl advertising campaigns, working with consumer goods clients beginning in the spring and providing issues management counsel through scripting and production, during the game, and in the days that follow.
Prior to establishing Bastardi Associates, Chris was co-founder of Baro Strategies, led the crisis team at Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, and founded Edelman New York’s real estate practice.
From its initial RFP response through on time and on budget project completion, he managed public relations and public affairs for LaGuardia Gateway Partners, the public-private partnership that redeveloped LaGuardia Airport. This involved extensive stakeholder engagement with community organizations, labor, environmental groups, and religious leaders. He has also represented clients including Lightstone, Berkshire Hathaway, Marriott, the Empire State Building, the Greater New York Hospital Association, Gansevoort Market, Bombardier, Jamestown (One Times Square), Hilton, Maddd Equities, and the New York Yankees.
Chris also has expertise managing labor relations disputes both on behalf of management and on behalf of organized labor. This has included for GE, Nissan, 1199, and others. In addition, he has led crisis preparedness and issues management efforts around national and international corporate mergers.
Chris specializes in litigation PR, working with the nation’s leading law firms on domestic and international cases including trademark infringement, medical malpractice, federal bankruptcy law, insurance fraud, workplace harassment, child endangerment, financial services fraud, amongst others.
Early in his career he worked at Mercury Public Affairs, The TASC Group, and was Director of Public Affairs & Communications for New York Senate Health Committee Chairman Kemp Hannon. He has worked with the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council to both pass and defeat legislation as well as on regulatory affairs in all levels of government.
Chris earned his B.A. from Fordham University and his M.A. from New York University. He serves on the board of Dance/NYC and is a member of the New York City Youth Board, an appointee of the Speaker’s Office.