Honorable Alberto Rivas has joined Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi’s Litigation Group.
Appointed to the bench in 2010 by Gov. Jon Corzine, Rivas presided over the Superior Court of New Jersey for Vicinage 8 in Middlesex County.
“Judge Rivas brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge and insight into the firm’s already outstanding Litigation Group,” Jeffrey Chiesa, co-chair of the executive committee said. “His decades of experience will prove invaluable in resolving high stakes and high-profile litigation matters.”
Rivas spent his judicial tenure in the civil, family law and criminal divisions of Middlesex County until 2025, including a stint as presiding judge of the criminal division and as assignment judge of Middlesex County.
Rivas, at the time of his appointment to the bench, was a partner at Lite DePalma Greenberg & Rivas, LLC from 1996 to 2010. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 1987 to 1996, serving as the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division from 1994 to 1996. Rivas also served as Law Director for the City of Perth Amboy, and an adjunct professor at Rutgers Law School.
“Judge Rivas is an outstanding addition to the team both as a litigator and as a mentor,” Frank Giantomasi, co-chair of the executive committee, said. “His unique mix of public and private experience will blend seamlessly with CSG Law, and his insights will further expand the Litigation Group’s already unparalleled service to achieve clients’ goals.”
Rivas has sat on a variety of court committees including the Lawyers Advisory Committees for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was also appointed to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals Task Force on Equal Treatment in the Courts, Race and Ethnicity Commission, and he served as chairman of the District VA Fee Arbitration Committee. Judge Rivas is a past president of the Rutgers Law School-Newark Alumni Association.
Rivas began his career as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Anne Thompson of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey from 1985 to 1987.
He earned his J.D. from Rutgers Law School and his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.
