Lecturer Bios
James P. Rigano, Esq.
James Rigano has concentrated his practice exclusively in environmental law for more than
two decades.
Mr. Rigano has served in the Enforcement Division of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where he was involved in a variety of water pollution control programs and was environmental counsel to the New York Power Authority.
He has extensive experience in subsurface contamination and solid waste issues and has represented clients in numerous matters before environmental regulatory agencies. He has negotiated the environmental issues in numerous transactions and has handled a broad range of cases involving wetlands, open space, and air pollution issues, and has litigated cost recovery actions. Mr. Rigano has had extensive experience with subsurface soil gas issues.
Mr. Rigano has extensive experience with environmental issues in brownfield development projects. He has negotiated technical and environmental issues and has addressed a host of complex regulatory concerns in the redevelopment of contaminated property. Mr. Rigano was environmental counsel for the New York Power Authority where he was involved in the permitting and environmental issues associated with hydroelectric facilities and major transmission lines.
Prior to practicing law, Mr. Rigano was employed for five years as an environmental scientist conducting research on the environmental effects of electric power generation.
Mr. Rigano has authored more than 40 articles and has lectured extensively on a variety of environmental insurance coverage topics. He has also chaired more than 20 environmental conferences. He is actively involved in civic, business and bar association organizations.
Long Island Business News has featured him in their “Who’s Who in the Law” edition. Mr. Rigano is the chair of the Environmental and Energy Task Force for Action Long Island and co-chairs the Continuing Legal Education Committee of the Environmental Section of the New York State Bar Association. He serves on the Board of the Nassau County Boy Scouts, the Association for a Better Long Island, and St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church.
Mr. Rigano received his Juris Doctor from Hofstra University School of law in 1982. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Biology from New York University and a Bachelor’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science from Adelphi University.
Alyse Delle Fave, Esq.
Alyse concentrates her practice in various areas of environmental law. Her experience includes assisting with the representation of clients in matters involving a wide range of environmental issues, including investigation and remediation of historical soil and groundwater contamination, endangered species protection, permitting, freshwater and tidal wetlands and renewable energy projects. She has worked on a variety of matters involving Federal, State and local environmental agencies and laws including, CERCLA cost recovery actions, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act matters, NYS and Federal Superfund sites, Brownfield Cleanup Program sites and New York Navigation Law spills.
Ms. Delle Fave earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, where she served on the Editorial Boards of both the Moot Court Honors Board of Advocates, as Research Editor, and the Environmental Law Society, as Secretary. While attending law school, Ms. Delle Fave received CALI Awards for Academic Excellence in both Environmental Crimes and Environmental Law and was honored at graduation with an award for providing “Outstanding Contributions to the Law Center.” Prior to law school, Alyse earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Quinnipiac University.
In January 2019, Alyse was appointed as a member of the Advisory Board for Touro Law Center's Land Use and Sustainable Law Institute. In April 2019, Alyse was appointed as CoChair of the Hauppauge Industrial Association (HIA) Environmental/Green Industries Committee. Alyse is also a co-founder of the Environmental Professionals Association, a networking group for professionals practicing in the environmental field.
Nicholas C. Rigano, Esq.
Nicholas C. Rigano joined Rigano LLC in 2017. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Rigano worked at well-known firms located in Manhattan and Long Island.
Mr. Rigano represents clients in transactional real property matters and high stakes litigation involving environmental issues. Mr. Rigano’s practice primarily concentrates on subsurface contamination, solid waste, and wetland issues. He served on the Environmental Advisory Board for the Village of Garden City and is the co-founder of Environmental Professionals Association, a networking group for professionals in the environmental field.
Mr. Rigano also represents key constituents involved in chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy cases, including trustees, committees, secured creditors, factors, landlords, creditors and defendants in Chapter 5 bankruptcy actions. Mr. Rigano is on the Board for the Turnaround Management Association Long Island Chapter.
Mr. Rigano has authored numerous articles published in periodicals such as the Bloomberg Law Reporter, Wall Street Journal Pro, the American Bankruptcy Institute Law Review and the New York Real Estate Journal. Mr. Rigano has lectured extensively on various environmental, bankruptcy and litigation topics.
Mr. Rigano is an Eagle Scout.
