Meet the 9/11 VCF Attorneys at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP

Founding Partner

Gregory J. Cannata

Gregory J. Cannata is the founding partner of Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP and has represented members of the 9/11 community since the inception of the Victim Compensation Fund. A native New Yorker who grew up in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx, Mr. Cannata was working in his office at the Woolworth Building on September 11, 2001. He returned to Lower Manhattan ten days later and volunteered with the Red Cross, serving meals to first responders at a comfort station on Murray Street.

In 2002, Mr. Cannata volunteered with Trial Lawyers Care to represent individuals injured by the attacks before the original Victim Compensation Fund. He received an award from Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in 2004 for his work with the program. That early commitment to the 9/11 community became the foundation of what is now one of the most experienced VCF practices in the country.

Mr. Cannata represented police officers, firefighters, and construction workers in the federal World Trade Center litigation (Docket 21-MC-100) from 2002 to 2012. He was appointed Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel for approximately 1,000 off-site WTC cleanup workers (Docket 21-MC-102) by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of the United States District Court, Southern District of New York. Under his leadership, Cannata, Hendele & Cannata has represented over 2,000 claimants before the Victim Compensation Fund and recovered more than $300 million in compensation.

Mr. Cannata and his team handle all aspects of VCF claims from beginning to end, including cancer claims, respiratory illness claims, deceased claims, amendments, and appeals. The firm has a strong record of success on appeal and has successfully petitioned the WTC Health Program to include additional illnesses for treatment and compensation. Mr. Cannata is known for providing each client with individual attention throughout the claims process.

Mr. Cannata is a graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School, Lehman College (CUNY), and New York Law School. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1978. For a free consultation, contact Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP at 1-888-982-8428.

Partner

Robert A. Grochow

Robert A. Grochow is a partner at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP and has been at the forefront of representing thousands of 9/11 victims before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Mr. Grochow has taken the lead in advancing new theories of coverage and has created significant change within the Fund by correcting the way the Fund had been incorrectly applying the federal legislation.

He pioneered the most significant procedural change in the Fund's history, getting the VCF to recognize that it had misapplied the legislation in calculating the timeliness of filing a claim. Because of his efforts, thousands more individuals are now able to file a claim with a significantly broadened period for registration. This groundbreaking approach by the firm has also resulted in the World Trade Center Health Program adding a medical condition it had not previously recognized.

Mr. Grochow proudly served at the forefront of the September 11th federal litigation, serving alongside Gregory Cannata as Plaintiffs' Liaison Counsel for the 21-MC-102 docket. He has also served as co-counsel in over a thousand cases during his more than thirty years as a personal injury lawyer, resulting in some of New York's largest and most significant decisions and awards.

Mr. Grochow's hands-on approach to managing and processing claims and his ongoing direct client contact distinguish him and the firm in the way clients are represented. He is the former Managing Editor of the New York State Trial Lawyers Quarterly and co-author of the original New York No-Fault Handbook, the definitive guide in New York. For a free consultation with Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, call 1-888-982-8428.

Partner

Robert Cannata

Robert Cannata is a partner at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, where he represents 9/11 survivors, first responders, and their families before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), as well as clients in a variety of personal injury matters.

Mr. Cannata handles cancer and deceased claims, including cases involving lung cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, lymphoma, and other 9/11-related cancers. While he has experience in all aspects of VCF claims, he primarily focuses on arguing appeals involving complicated issues surrounding economic loss calculation, eligibility, proof of presence, and non-economic loss. Like the rest of the attorneys at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, Mr. Cannata is known for his creative arguments and tireless advocacy, resulting in many successful appeals and millions of dollars in compensation for his clients.

In one notable case, Mr. Cannata successfully persuaded the VCF to reverse a denial based on insufficient proof of presence after arguing that his client was shown in a video taken on September 11th from inside the lobby of the North Tower. The VCF made an exception to their strict proof of presence requirements based on the reliability of the evidence.

In another notable case involving a complicated economic loss claim for a NYC firefighter, Mr. Cannata successfully argued the VCF to double his client's economic loss award despite the client having suffered a disabling non-related orthopedic injury, resulting in a significantly increased award.

To discuss your VCF claim with Mr. Cannata or another attorney at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, call 1-888-982-8428 for a free consultation.

Managing Partner

Alison Cannata Hendele

Alison Cannata Hendele is the managing partner of Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, where she oversees the firm's administration and operation. Ms. Hendele's practice is centered on representing personal injury plaintiffs in a range of matters including products liability, premises liability, and motor vehicle lawsuits. She has drafted several appeals before the New York State Court of Appeals and the Appellate Divisions, has handled multiple cases resulting in settlements of one million dollars or more, and represents claimants in eligibility-related VCF appeals.

Ms. Hendele first began working on World Trade Center-related cases in 2009. Upon admission to the Bar in 2010, she represented the firm's clients in the federal World Trade Center litigation, where she was instrumental in motion practice, medical record review, and settlement administration. Beginning in 2011, Ms. Hendele spearheaded Cannata, Hendele & Cannata's representation of VCF clients before the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

Ms. Hendele has been a member of the firm since her graduation from law school in 2009. She is admitted to practice in New York State courts, the Southern District of New York, and the Eastern District of New York. Ms. Hendele provides her clients with compassionate yet aggressive representation so that each client is fully compensated for their injuries and losses. Contact Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP at 1-888-982-8428 for a free consultation.

Associate

Madeline Muniz

Madeline Muniz is an associate at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP and a 9/11 attorney who has represented September 11, 2001 responders, survivors, and their families since 2018. Prior to 2018, Ms. Muniz was a paralegal working extensively on the World Trade Center litigation, coordinating the exchange of mass discovery and assisting in the preparation of depositions.

Ms. Muniz focuses on Surrogate's Court proceedings and September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) claims, with particular experience in estate matters that directly affect eligibility for VCF compensation. She represents clients in estates with a Will (probate proceedings) and without a Will (administration proceedings), guiding families through the legal process required to obtain authority to act on behalf of a decedent. Her Surrogate's Court practice includes obtaining Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration, handling small estate proceedings, and addressing kinship and heirship determinations, distributee rights, and other complex estate issues. She has successfully secured court determinations that enable families to access long-delayed VCF awards, including in contested and procedurally complex matters.

In addition to her estate and Surrogate's Court work, Ms. Muniz manages all aspects of VCF and World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) claims, including appeals. She has a strong record of reversing claim denials and obtaining increased compensation for individuals affected by 9/11-related illnesses. In one notable case, Ms. Muniz secured $1,600,000 for the family of a minor whose life was cut short by an aggressive medulloblastoma linked to exposure to the toxic air while residing in Lower Manhattan. She successfully argued that the family's application to the Victim Compensation Fund should not be time-barred, despite a delay of more than two years following the child's death, given the extraordinary rarity and unique circumstances of the claim.

Ms. Muniz represents first responders, downtown workers, residents, and family members in both court and administrative proceedings at Cannata, Hendele & Cannata, LLP, providing strategic, detail-oriented advocacy at every stage of the claims process. Call 1-888-982-8428 for a free consultation.