Expertise

Mr. Russell has extensive experience with insurance-related issues and controversies. Working on behalf of insurers as well as policyholders, he has handled and resolved disputes involving liability coverage for asbestos, pollution and other "long-tail" claims; allocation of defense and indemnity payments and settlements among successive or "stacked" policies and multiple insurers; coverage issues under Directors & Officers, legal malpractice, and other errors and omissions coverages; first party property coverages; life and health policies and life insurance and annuity sales practices; and bad faith and other "extra-contractual" claims. Mr. Russell also has substantial experience with  controversies arising out of third-party administrator and brokerage relationships, and has counseled major insurance carriers regarding the design and implementation of company protocols for  handling and settling multi-claimant cases involving asserted "toxic tort" liabilities, and the coordinated defense of multi-state liability actions.
In addition to his insurance expertise, Mr. Russell has handled and resolved controversies involving a wide range of other commercial issues. These include:

  • Antitrust and trade regulation disputes in such diverse industries as cable television, food production and distribution, pharmaceutical sales, funeral supplies, hospitals and other health care providers, film distribution, automotive equipment, and horticultural products.
  • Securities fraud and other business fraud and tort claims, as well as securities industry broker-customer disputes and investment-advisory controversies.
  • Contests for corporate control, internal corporate governance and ownership disputes,  management controversies involving LLC's, partnerships, and not-for-profit firms, and merger and acquisition disputes.
  • Disputes over the performance and interpretation of commercial contracts in a variety of industries, including computer software and hardware, mining, automotive accessories, tool and die manufacture, transportation, music production, HVAC equipment, health-care product distribution, and others.
  • Controversies over the valuation and appraisal of interests in real estate, corporate securities, partnerships and other business organizations, and other assets.
  • Disputes arising out of real estate acquisition, financing, development, and leasing.
  • Employment contract controversies, and workplace disputes over such matters as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage-and-hour regulations.
  • Legal and accounting malpractice claims.
  • Construction disputes.
  • Environmental pollution and cleanup claims, and other land use controversies.
  • Personal injury actions, including drug liability and toxic exposure claims.
  • Intellectual property claims, including infringement and licensing disputes.