Ronald S. Cusano

Ron Cusano is Counsel to the Firm and a member of the Litigation Services Department and Energy & Environmental Practice Group. He focuses his practice on oil and gas, energy and environmental regulation, environmental permitting, compliance, litigation, investigation and remediation of contaminated properties, transactions, real estate tax assessments appeals and land use matters.

Mr. Cusano’s energy and environmental practice includes the representation of organizations in the oil and gas, resource extraction, waste disposal, chemical and steel recycling industries. He also represents municipal authorities in the environmental area. His practice involves commenting on proposed environmental and energy regulations, the negotiation of terms and conditions for complex environmental permits, the prosecution and defense of appeals from administrative actions to environmental hearing boards, the prosecution and defense of environmental cost recovery actions, the performance of applicability determinations, the negotiation of consent decrees, consent orders, consent agreements and other forms of settlement documents, the evaluation of environmental site assessments, and the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties. He has extensive experience in litigating and negotiating environmental issues with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (“PaDEP”) in all of its regions across the Commonwealth.

Mr. Cusano also has a real estate tax assessment practice which involves the prosecution of appeals of county property tax assessments particularly for landfills to county boards of property tax assessment appeals and review. Mr. Cusano also handles zoning hearing board appeals including applications for variances and appeals of municipal enforcement actions.

Other Distinctions

•Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
•Duquesne University Law Review, recent decisions editor
•Recognized in Who’s Who in Energy, 2014-17
•Listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Environmental Law, 2017-2020

Community & Pro Bono

•Saint Bernard’s Choir, 2009-2012
•Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, Board of Directors, 2002-2005; secretary of the Board of Directors, 2003-2005
•Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club, registrar, 1999-2003
•University of Pittsburgh, Department of Geology, Advisory Board, Major in Environmental Studies, former member
•Green Building Alliance of Western Pennsylvania, Board of Directors, 2006-2012

Related Events

•Partner Ronald Cusano Served as Faculty Member for 2016 Environmental Law Forum
•Ron Cusano Presented at PIOGA’s 2015 Winter Meeting
•Schnader Attorneys Speak at Construction SuperConference 2014
•Schnader’s Ron Cusano Presented “Air Quality Update” at PBI’s Environmental Law Forum 2013
•Schnader Attorneys Presented “Top 10 Air Quality Issues for the Oil and Gas Industry in 2013” at PIOGA’s Winter Meeting
•Schnader Hosts Green Building Alliance Strategic Plan Announcement
•When “Green” Turns to “Red” and “LEEDS” to a Summons and Complaint: Potential Liability on Green Projects
•Environmental Law 2007 Year in Review
•The Environmental Litigation Year in Review
•The Environmental Litigation Year (’06) in Review
•FASB/FIN 47: Fair Value Reporting on Environmental Liabilities
•The Environmental Litigation Year (’04) in Review

News & Publications

•Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2020
•Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2019
•40 Schnader Attorneys Named to The Best Lawyers in America 2018
•Thirty-Seven Schnader Attorneys Selected for The Best Lawyers in America 2017
•Schnader Receives Pennsylvania Youth Court Champion Award
•Pittsburgh Attorneys Lead Constitution and Youth Court Projects at Local Charter School
•Ronald Cusano Recipient of 2015 Energy Leadership Award
•Is Your Landfill or Other Wasting Asset Fairly Assessed?
•Kevin Blanton and Ron Cusano Earn LEED Accreditation
•Eligibility for Reimbursement from the Underground Storage Tank Indemnification Fund Cannot Be Determined on a Per Tank Basis
•“Legal Issues in Certification” (E-Scrap News)
•Electronics Recyclers Will Have To Do More and No Doubt Spend More To Obtain Certification Under R2 Solutions’ R2:2013 Standard
•“The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Rejects U.S. EPA’s Functional Interrelatedness Test for Air Aggregation”
•“PIOGA’s Comments and Recommendations Concerning Proposed GP-5”
•Schnader’s Ron Cusano Attends Event to Benefit the Vincentian Charitable Foundation
•“Continuing Litigation Over Source Determinations in the Oil and Gas Industry Can Be Anticipated”
•Sixty-Eight Schnader Attorneys Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell
•EPA Proposes New, Broad Ranging Air Regulations Applicable to the Oil and Gas Source Category
•“Plaintiffs Can Proceed With the Next Steps in the Litigation of Their Toxic Tort and Related Claims Against Gas Well Operators”
•Brownfields: A Comprehensive Guide to Redeveloping Contaminated Property
•Ron Cusano Featured as a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review “Newsmaker”
•Cusano Quoted in Article on ACBA Environmental Law Section’s 2010 River Cruise Fundraiser
•Cusano to Serve as Bar Association Environmental Program Chair