Norris McLaughlin, P.A. Receives Professional Service Awards From Habitat for Humanity
February 21, 2008
Norris McLaughlin, P.A.
P.O. Box 1018
Somerville, NJ 08876-1018
Contact: Edward C. Miller, Jr.
Chief Marketing Officer
(908) 722-0700, X-4224
ecmillerjr@nmmlaw.com
Norris McLaughlin, P.A.
Receives Professional Service Awards
From Habitat for Humanity
SOMERVILLE, NJ – The Somerville law firm of Norris McLaughlin, P.A. and Michael K. Ligorano, a member of the firm, were recognized by the Raritan Valley Chapter of Habitat for Humanity (RVHFH). The firm received the 2007 Community Partner Professional Service Award, saluting the firm’s significant service to the Habitat for Humanity program, and Ligorano was also acknowledged with a Professional Service Award for his individual contribution. The awards were presented at RVHFH’s Annual Meeting on Monday, February 4, 2008, in the Fellowship Hall of the United Reform Church in Somerville, New Jersey.
The NMM Real Estate & Land Use Group supported the RVHFH’s Somerset County Franklin Township with pro bono services. The Group worked diligently against objections to obtain variances and site plan approval for the project, which includes four homes for low-income families on Girard Avenue. The project is the first in a series of projects for which the Real Estate & Land Use Group is offering their services. The Norris McLaughlin, P.A. attorneys involved included Mike Ligorano, Chris Stevenson, Christine Socha and Pat Mottola. Other RVHFH projects that the Real Estate & Land Use Group is supporting with pro bono services include Bridgewater, Califon, Clinton Township, Hillsborough, and a possible project in Franklin, Hunterdon County.
A resident of Clinton, Ligorano focuses his practice on land use and immigration law. Ligorano heads the Norris McLaughlin, P.A. Immigration Law Group. He has extensive experience processing all types of business and family immigration matters before the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, the U.S. Department of State and other federal agencies and courts, both domestically and abroad.
In the area of real estate and land use, Ligorano assists land developers, construction companies, major corporations and small businesses in the evaluation of undeveloped land and all phases of the application process. He also handles zoning-related disputes, denial of land use permits, exclusionary zoning disputes, and other litigation which arises from planning and zoning processes. He has been actively involved in the local business community, most notably in Hunterdon County.
Ligorano is a member of the New Jersey, New York and Florida State Bar Associations, the American Immigration Lawyers Association and the Canon Law Society of America. He is also a Past President of the Hunterdon County Bar Association.
Ligorano regularly speaks to local business organizations on a variety of land use and immigration topics. He has authored a number of articles on these topics as well. He is very active in business and charitable organizations in Hunterdon County and was honored with the Volunteer of the Year Award by the Arc of New Jersey in 2004 for his contributions to the Arc of Hunterdon County.
Ligorano earned his J.D. from Western New England Law School in 1978 and his B.A., cum laude, from Rutgers University in 1975.
The attorneys in the Real Estate & Land Use Group, for more than fifty years, have represented private owners and developers, institutional investors and lenders, property managers, end-users and others in a broad range of real estate matters. Our attorneys practice throughout the State of New Jersey and at all levels of government. As the exclusive New Jersey member of Meritas, a worldwide affiliation of independent law firms who meet the highest standards of competency and service across the United States and in 70 countries, Norris McLaughlin, P.A.& Marucs is able to effectively coordinate multi-state transactions by providing high-quality real estate legal services outside the State of New Jersey.
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity, serving Somerset and Hunterdon counties, builds permanent affordable housing for low-income families via a cooperative, volunteer effort. RVHFH volunteers find the site, raise the funds, and select a family for each new home. Then, the selected family works side-by-side with RVHFH and community volunteers on the construction of their new home. The family purchases the home upon completion with the help of a zero-interest mortgage provided by Habitat. Once they purchase the house, they are responsible for home maintenance and for monthly payments of principal, taxes, insurance and utilities. Mortgage payments are recycled to fund the construction of more houses. To insure the continued availability of affordable housing in the community, the deeds to the properties are restricted. RVHFH works exclusively with low–income families, those who earn 30-50% of median income and meet other additional guidelines.
