Damon R. Sedita – Environmental Law

Environmental and Commercial Litigation
Partner – Sedita, Campisano, & Campisano, LLC

Mr. Sedita handles complex environmental matters from negotiations with both the Federal and State government, to litigation (both as a Plaintiff and Defendant in cost recovery actions) to redevelopment of formerly environmentally impaired property. Mr. Sedita has successfully represented both private and governmental parties in environmental litigation.

In addition, Mr. Sedita handles the firm’s commercial litigation (breach of contract, failure to perform, etc.) and white collar criminal litigation. Mr. Sedita has extensive trial experience including being an Assistant Prosecutor in Essex County for 8 years (over 100 jury trials), deputy director of the Essex County Bureau of narcotics (multi party wire tap litigations) and an original member of the Special Prosecution Unit (12 homicide trials). His civil trial experience includes the only successful chromium litigation in the State of New Jersey for the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority and at least one half dozen Super Fund actions.

Practice areas

• Environmental law
• Complex commercial litigation
• White-collar criminal defense
• Insurance litigation

Admitted to bar

• California, 1972
• New Jersey, 1973

Education

• Rutgers University, B.A. Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude, 1969
• Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley, J.D., 1972

Professional memberships

• Member of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
• Member of the Essex County Bar Association
• Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Employment

• Law Clerk in Middlesex County , 1972 — 1973 in both the New Jersey Superior Court and New Jersey Appellate Division for Judge Demos and Judge Degan.
• Assistant Prosecutor, Essex County , 1974 — 1982, Appellate Section, Senior Trial Attorney, Deputy Director Essex County Bureau of Narcotics and Member of the Special Prosecutions Unit. In excess of 100 Jury Trials including 12 Homicide Trials.
• 1982 — January 2005, Schwartz, Tobia, Stanziale, Sedita & Campisano, Partner in charge of complex litigation for environmental, commercial and labor sections.
• 2005 — Founding member of Sedita, Campisano & Campisano, LLC.

Accomplishments

• Representation of a transporter and owner regarding the Rolling Knolls Superfund (CERCLA) site in Chatham, New Jersey.
• Representation of a former manufacturing company in the Passaic River litigation.
• Representation of an owner of property which contains an old landfill in the East Hanover Well Field matter and in the Black Brook Pumping Well #1 litigation.
• Representation of a Plaintiff in Northern New Jersey in a cost recovery action for environmental damage against DuPont, Dow and PPG.
• Representation of N.J. Turnpike Authority in the BEMS (Burlington Environmental Management Systems) litigation as a generator and transporter.
• Represented the New Jersey Turnpike Authority in the Gloucester Environmental Management Services (GEMS) Landfill Federal Superfund (CERCLA) litigation
• Represented the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Agency (BLRA) regarding environmental issues in:
  • The acquisition of and transfer of the Military Ocean Terminal Bayonne property to the BLRA;
  • The negotiations that resulted in a no-cost economic development conveyance to the BLRA;
  • The negotiations with the Army to the BLRA of $11 million dollars to remediate contamination at the site and in negotiations with the NJDEP to perform remedial work at the site; Represented the BLRA in obtaining insurance coverage for site remediation;
  • Preparing Request for Expansion of Interest for Redevelopment of Site.
  • Reviewing the redevelopment of the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
• Represented the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority in a cost recovery action against PPG which was the first chromium litigation in New Jersey.
• Represented the Delaware Valley Sewage Commission in the Prices Landfill matter.
• Represented Vice President of a chemicals company for alleged illegal dumping. The charges were dismissed.
• Represented Owner/Operator and Transporter in the Combe Fill North Federal Superfund (CERCLA) litigation and the State Spill Act litigation.
• Represented Owner/Operator and Transporter in the Combe Fill South Federal Superfund (CERCLA) site litigation and the State Spill Fund litigation.
• Represented a landowner whose property was landfilled without permission. Dismissed from Sayreville Landfill case and filed a successful separate suit against the Co-Defendants in the Sayreville litigation.
• Represented a transporter in the Picillo Fig Farm Superfund site in Rhode Island. The client was voluntarily dismissed.
• Representation of an owner of property in Sayreville which contained Mirex contamination.
• Represented a landlord whose building’s basement was inundated with gasoline from an AMOCO station. Filed suit against Amoco Oil Co.
• Represented a gas station owner against the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in a Spill Fund Action and filed an action against Texaco, Hess, and Amoco.