Mr. Rivera-Yankovich holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from Long Island University (Old Brookville, Long Island, New York, 1988), a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law (1992), and a Master’s Degree (LL.M.) in Environmental Law from Pace University School of Law (White Plains, New York, 1994).

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich is a shareholder and director at TCM and a member of the firm’s Environmental, Energy and Land Use Law Practice Group. Prior to joining TCM, Mr. Rivera-Yankovich was a member of the Environmental Law Practice Group of McConnell Valdés.

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich counsels clients in a wide range of issues dealing with federal and Puerto Rico environmental and natural resources laws and regulations, concentrating in clean water matters, NPDES Permits, construction and industrial storm water permits, PRASA industrial waste water pretreatment permits, brownfields, green energy (projects & funds), water franchise, soil extraction, maritime-terrestrial and coastal zone matters, UST and AST requirements and hazardous and non-hazardous waste matters. 

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich is also very active in areas such as used oil, Comprehensive Environmental Resource Conservation Liability Act (“CERCLA”), and Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (“EPCRA”) reporting, DOT 2, Public Service Commission Franchise & Authorizations, United States Army Corps of Engineers permits, Environmental Documents, medical gas industry, EPA Fuels Program and fire prevention requirements.  Mr. Rivera-Yankovich has represented clients in enforcement actions initiated by the P.R. Environmental Quality Board (“EQB”), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), the Puerto Rico Acqueduct and Sewer Authority (“PRASA”), the P.R. Solid Waste Management Authority (SWMA), the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“COE”), the Department of Natural and Evironmental Resources (“DNER”), the Public Service Commission, and the Occupational, Health & Safety Division of the P.R. Department of Labor & Human Resources.

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich’s work in government and legislative matters requires monitoring of legislative and agency rulemaking activities, preparation of draft bills and regulatory amendment proposals, as well as comment and appearances at administrative and legislative hearings. He also contributed significantly to the approval of many legislative bills and regulatory amendments, such as incentives and benefits for environmental remediation projects, amendments to the P.R. Pharmacy Act to benefit the medical gas industry, PRASA Pretreatment regulatory flexibility, DNER water franchise matters, property tax amnesty periods, maritime-terrestrial zone matters, clarification of EPA NPDES MSGPs, telecommunication tower site requirements, among others. 

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich was the main consultant in the preparation of the first piece of legislation concerning brownfields redevelopment and voluntary environmental clean-up program for Puerto Rico. He was also the author and in-state consultant for the Puerto Rico chapters of LEXIS/Mathew Bender’s “Brownfield’s Law and Practice (The Cleanup and Redevelopment of Contaminated Land)” and the “Environmental Law Practice Guide.”

He is a member of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce (“PRCC”), where he supported administrative and legislative lobbying activities, and the P.R. Chapter of the National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”), where he served as legal advisor.  He is also a member of the American Bar Association (Environmental, Natural Resources and Energy Section), the P.R. Bar Association, the P.R. Lawyers Association, and the Interamerican Association of Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Science (“AIDIS-PR”), where he is currently a member of the Board of Directors and is the main contributing author for ECO-NOTAS LEGALES, the environmental legal section of the Association’s electronic news releases. Mr. Rivera-Yankovich was also a non-commissioned officer of the United States Marine Corps (USMC-Combat Engineer/Landing Support Specialist)(A-RR/Hon.D-1994).

Mr. Rivera-Yankovich is admitted to practice in the courts of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.  Mr. Rivera-Yankovich is also a notary public in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.