Marc D. Policastro
Marc, Chair of the Environmental Department, is a transactional, business attorney, who focuses his practice in development, redevelopment, environmental compliance cases, corporate transactional matters, land use, zoning and business counseling. He has represented numerous national developers, manufacturers, cogeneration facilities and utilities, automobile dealerships, lenders, borrowers and municipal boards in myriad land use contexts, including commercial and residential development and due diligence matters. Marc also focuses on complex remediation cases and general environmental compliance counseling. He has significant experience in ISRA, Spill Act, LSRP, UST and related hazardous substance regulatory matters and redevelopment of contaminated sites. Marc is originally from New York City and was raised in Holmdel, NJ. He attended Christian Brothers Academy, University of Richmond and Seton Hall Law School.
Marc is the author of The Remediation Wire, a blog devoted to a broad range of environmental news, laws, regulations and upcoming events in the environmental field.
Marc is also the co-author of New Jersey Redevelopment Blog, a blog devoted to news and updates regarding all Redevelopment matters, laws, news and updates throughout New Jersey.
Practice Areas
- Environmental - Land Use and Permitting
- Environmental - Site Remediation and Brownfields
- Environmental - Litigation
- Real Estate
- Land Use & Development Law
- Affordable Housing
- Energy, Climate Change and Public Utilities
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Practice Focus
- Environmental Law
- Land Use, Zoning and Development
- Remediation Law
Professional Activities
- Board Member, New Jersey State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section
- Member, New Jersey Builders Association
- Member, Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey
- Member, New Jersey State Bar Association, Land Use Law Section
- Member, Monmouth County Bar Association
- Member, Mortgage Bankers Association
- Member, Off-Site Source Investigation/Documentation Committee of NJDEP's Technical Guidance Group
Other Professional and Personal Information
While attending Seton Hall University School of Law, Marc received the Raymond del Tufo Award for highest achievement in Constitutional Law.Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
Education
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
- University of Richmond, B.S., cum laude
Honors/Awards
- Named the Best Lawyers® 2025 Litigation - Real Estate "Lawyer of the Year" for the Woodbridge Area
- Voted a 2021 Monmouth County Top Lawyer,* Monmouth Health & Life, October 2021
- Voted a 2020 Monmouth County Top Lawyer,* Monmouth Health & Life, October 2020
- Named the Best Lawyers® 2021 Litigation - Real Estate Law "Lawyer of the Year" for the Woodbridge Area
- Named the Best Lawyers® 2020 Land Use and Zoning Law "Lawyer of the Year" for the Woodbridge Area
- Listed in Chambers USA*-America's Leading Business Lawyers
- Ranked in Chambers USA* under both Environmental and Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
- Selected for inclusion in Best Lawyers since 2010
- Selected by the New Jersey Law Journal for inclusion in its top "40 Under 40"* list in 2004
- Named The Best Lawyers'* 2014-15 Woodbridge Area Litigation - Environmental "Lawyer of the Year"
News
- 21 Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C. Attorneys Recognized as 2025 Best Lawyers® Award Recipients
- Marc D. Policastro Named 2025 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in the Woodbridge Area.
- Ten Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2024
- Twenty-Two GH&C Attorneys Recognized in the 2024 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®
- Ten Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2023
- Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named a 2022 Go-To Thought Leader by the National Law Review
- 24 Lawyers from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C. Were Recognized in the 2023 Edition of the Best Lawyers in America®
- Eleven Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2022
- Several GH&C Attorneys Named "Monmouth County's Top Lawyers 2021"
- 24 Lawyers from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P. C. Were Recognized in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®
- In Unusual Move, Developer Is Awarded Attorneys' Fees and Costs Over Town's Settlement Breach
- Eleven Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2021
- National Publication Honors 6 at Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla For Articles on Environmental and Land Use Law
- Three Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named 2021 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in the Woodbridge Area
- 23 Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla, P.C. Lawyers Named to 2021 Best Lawyers® List
- Ten Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2020
- 23 Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named to 2020 Best Lawyers® List
- Three Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named 2020 Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in Woodbridge Area
- Twelve Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Ranked in Chambers USA Guide 2019
- NJDEP Establishes New Groundwater Standards
- Giordano Law Firm Creates Energy, Climate Change and Public Utilities Practice
- 22 Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named to 2019 Best Lawyers® List
- Marc Policastro Authors Article "Natural Resource Damages: Are We Out of the Woods Yet?" in New Jersey Law Journal
- Natural Resource Damages: Are We Out of the Woods Yet?
- 22 Attorneys from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Named to 2018 Best Lawyers® List
- Are landlords and tenants "jointly and severally liable" under the Industrial Site Recovery Act? Under New Jersey law, may a landlord or tenant force the other's hand to remediate environmental contam
- How does Governor Christie's signing of Assembly Bill No. 4543 affect environmental cleanups in NJ?
- Twenty One Lawyers From Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Selected For Inclusion In Best Lawyers in America 2014 List
- Sixteen Giordano Attorneys Ranked in 2013 Chambers USA
- GH&C Attorneys To Speak At The 2013 Atlantic Builders Convention
- With the privatization of the Site Remediation Program in New Jersey, is there nonetheless an opportunity for responsible parties to obtain an "alternative cleanup remedy?"
- Advisory for Immediate Evaluation of Contaminated Sites
- 22 Lawyers from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Selected For Inclusion In The Best Lawyers in America
- NJDEP Appoints Marc Policastro To Off-Site Source Investigation Documentation Committee of NJDEP's Technical Guidance Group.
- Is it possible to obtain a "No Further Action Letter" from the State of New Jersey where, in fact, "further action" is definitely required by someone?
- Sixteen Giordano Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA
- Are lenders really insulated from environmental liability merely because the lender is a "secured party" and not an "owner or operator" under the New Jersey Spill Act?"
- Marc Policastro Authors Q&A On Environmental Liability
- Marc Policastro Authors Article "Ranking Your Contaminated Site" in NJBIZ
- 20 Lawyers from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America
- Marc Policastro Authors Article "Mother Nature Always Wins" in NJBIZ
- "Mother Nature Always Wins"
- Under the new LSRP law in New Jersey, if you hire a Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) but contract with the consultant to "act in their capacity as a non-LSRP," will that insulate you from
- Fifteen Giordano Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA
- Do parties responsible for environmental cleanups in New Jersey have a method to seek a "variance" or "exception" from strict application of a regulation?
- Where a developer seeks to have a municipality approve a particular use that is not expressly permitted under the zoning-ordinance and the proposed use is not "inherently beneficial", does the develop
- Has privatization of New Jersey's remediation program afforded developers and re-developers free reign to formulate remediation strategies without any checks and balances in place?
- If you want to sell a property or business that qualifies as an "industrial establishment" in New Jersey, is it permissible to close the transaction first, and then clean-up the site after closing?
- In New Jersey, where a commercial site has known or suspected contamination, is it always necessary to test indoor air quality?
- If you own or operate contaminated real estate in New Jersey, is it possible to cleanup the property without the State of New Jersey's direct oversight, that is, on a private basis?
- 18 Lawyers from Giordano, Halleran & Ciesla selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ®
- Eleven Giordano Attorneys Ranked in Chambers USA
- In New Jersey, if groundwater contamination exists above applicable cleanup standards, is it always necessary to fully remediate groundwater to meet applicable cleanup standards?
- "New LSRP Rules Released by DEP"NJBA Cutting Edge
- Marc D. Policastro Joins the Giordano Firm as Shareholder
Articles/Publications
- "NJDEP Extends Critical Remediation Deadlines," The Remediation Wire, April 27, 2020
- "EPA Relaxes Environmental Enforcement During COVID-19 Pandemic," The Remediation Wire, April 2, 2020
- Business Interruptions Due to Coronavirus and Its Impact on Environmental Remediation Deadlines," The Remediation Wire, March 19, 2020
- "NJDEP Posts Updated Guidance Regarding Capping of Volatile Contaminants for the Impact to Ground Water Pathway," NJ Environmental Law Blog, February 25, 2019
- "Are You Prepared to Meet the May 7, 2019 Regulatory Deadline for Remedial Actions?" The Remediation Wire, January 9, 2019
- "Natural Resource Damages: Are We Out of the Woods Yet?" NJ Law Journal, June 8, 2018
- "The Appellate Division Reverses COAH's Gap Requirement," NJ Redevelopment, July 23, 2016
- "Due Diligence and the Bermuda Triangle: Getting It Done," The Remediation Wire, April 8, 2016
- "NJDEP Deadline Looming for Completing Remedial Investigations," The Remediation Wire, January 5, 2016
- "NJDEP's New Guidance Rules: New Off-Site And On-Site Contamination Liability," Dimensions, March 2015
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, March 2014
- "Extension of May 7, 2014 Remedial Investigation Deadline," The Remediation Wire, January 14, 2014
- "NJDEP Issues Guidance Document for May, 2014 Remediation Deadline," The Remediation Wire, May 15, 2013
- "Modifying No Further Action Letters," NJ Environmental Law Blog, March 1, 2013
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, February 2013
- Advisory for Immediate Evaluation of Contaminated Sites
- Author, EnviroBent, NJBIZ Environment Law Blog, January 2012
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, January 2012
- Author, EnviroBent, NJBIZ Environment Law Blog, August 2011
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, August 2011
- Author, EnviroBent, NJBIZ Environment Law Blog
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, December 2010
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, November 2010
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, April 2010
- "New LSRP Rules Released By DEP,"NJBA Cutting Edge
- "Legal Q&A," New Jersey Tech News, August 2009
Press Mentions
- "Changes to Franklin Lakes Assisted Living Facility Considered," NorthJersey.com, April 8, 2017
- "GH&C’s Marc D. Policastro Assists Chelsea Senior Living in Opening a New Facility In Marlboro," GH&C Alerts, October 2015
Seminars/Presentations
- Panelist, "Site Remediation Regulatory Updates,";Atlantic Builders Convention 2013, April 2013
- "Recent Developments in the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act." Sponsored by NJBA, October 11, 2012