nrigano@riganollc.com

Nicholas C. Rigano joined Rigano LLC in 2017.  Prior to joining the firm, he worked at well-known firms located in Manhattan and Long Island. 

Nick represents clients in litigation and transactional real property matters involving environmental issues.  His practice primarily concentrates on subsurface contamination, solid waste, and wetland issues.  He is the Chair of the Environmental Law Committee for the Nassau County Bar Association, Co-Chair of the Water Quality Committee for the New York State Bar Association Environmental and Energy Law Section and is the co-founder of the Environmental Professionals Association, a 100+ member networking group for professionals in the environmental field.   Nick is also an appointed member of the New York State Bar Association Environmental Justice Committee.  He also served on the Environmental Advisory Board for the Village of Garden City.

Nick also represents key constituents involved in Chapter 5 bankruptcy litigation and as well as creditors to Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies. 

Notable environmental experience includes:

• Serve as lead counsel for various municipalities in multi-million dollar CERCLA, RCRA and tort litigations seeking recovery of costs and related damages associated with PFAS contamination

• Serve as lead litigation counsel for several New York State municipalities in the Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Multi District Litigation associated with damage recovery resulting from PFAS contamination detected at municipal airports designated as superfund sites.

• On behalf of various municipalities, serve as lead point person to manage NYSDEC superfund process to investigate and remediate PFAS contamination resulting from firefighting foam use at municipal-owned airports
• Represent water districts as creditors in Chapter 7 bankruptcy resulting in a multi-million dollar recovery from the sale of a superfund site
• Represent buyer and seller (with a conflict waiver) of a superfund site resulting in administrative releases of both parties
• Represent plaintiff in multi-million dollar CERCLA cost recovery litigation against dozens of potentially responsible parties
• Represent municipality as defendant in a suit brought by a property owner for recovery of costs associated with alleged release of contaminants at municipality’s former property
• Obtained eight figure federal tax deduction resulting from a conservation easement on behalf of a developer client
• Represent clients in resolution of various tidal wetlands enforcement actions brought by the NYSDEC by guiding client through bulkhead and wetlands processes
• Guide multiple clients through brownfield process for superfund sites and non-superfund sites
• Represent well-known developers in pre-closing environmental due diligence and contract/lease negotiations
• Procure environmental insurance policies for various parties

Notable bankruptcy experience includes:

• Represent Chapter 7 trustee regarding international Ponzi scheme by handling multi-million dollar international fraudulent conveyance actions
• Represent Chapter 7 trustee of mid-market broker dealer by spearheading multi-million dollar breach of contract litigations against former clients, the recoveries from which enabled the trustee to make a 75% distribution to unsecured creditors
• Represent creditors committee for one of the largest Chapter 11 subprime mortgage lender filings
• Represent Chapter 11 creditors committee for mid-market hardware manufacturer
• Represent various defendants in Chapter 5 actions brought by liquidation trusts or chapter 11 trustees
• Represent trade creditors with 503(b)(9) claims
• Represent landlords in connection with assumption and rejection of leases pursuant to section 365 of the bankruptcy code

Nick has authored numerous articles published in periodicals such as the Bloomberg Law Reporter, Wall Street Journal Pro, the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review, the New York Real Estate Journal, the New York Environmental Lawyer.  He has lectured extensively on various environmental, bankruptcy and litigation topics at venues such as the Harvard Club, Nassau County Bar Association, CLE providers as well as for the New York State Bar Association.

Nick has been quoted or appeared in various media outlets including Newsday, The New York Post, News12, ABC News, NPR, the Garden City News, the Bethpage Newsgram, and Bloomberg BNA.

Nick is an Eagle Scout.