Practice Areas
Education
- Cornell University Law School, J.D., 1987
- Washington and Lee University, B.A., 1984, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Bar & Court Admissions
Russ is the head of the firm’s privately held companies corporate practice. He helps clients achieve their business objectives, including the organization, finance, governance, acquisition and disposition of businesses, and general business and contract matters. Russ regularly addresses equity exit and change-in-control strategies, inter-owner relations and disputes, and post-transaction disputes. He also serves as adviser to a number of private companies owned by multi-generational families and family offices, addressing governance, owner relations, inter-generational planning, structuring and transactions. He also advises non-profit borrowers in tax-exempt bond financings and other capital markets financings.
Representative recent engagements:
- Counseled companies based in the UK, Germany, Canada and other countries in the establishment of US business organizations, the acquisition and operation of multiple businesses in the US, and US aspects of internal reorganizations and financing transactions
- Serves as lead US acquisition counsel and corporate counsel for a UK-based public company and its US subsidiaries
- Represented a publicly traded company in connection with the establishment of a joint venture with a private equity firm, involving the simultaneous contribution of a business into the venture entity and the acquisition by the venture entity of a complementary business from a third party seller.
- Serves as primary corporate and transactional counsel to a number of single-family equity/investment firms and a multi-billion-dollar multi-generational family investment company
- Advised a private company in a leveraged recapitalization and inter-generational ownership transition exceeding $50 million in value, involving a special dividend and a self-tender purchase offer
- Advised an entrepreneurial company in the specialty food products industry in connection with a capital restructuring and two multi-million-dollar equity investments by a private equity fund
- Advised an emerging technology company developing a software platform for travel-related companies in connection with the design and implementation of an entity type and capital restructuring, equity compensation arrangements, equity-based arrangements with business partners, and multi-million-dollar series A and Series B round capital raises
- Advised key executives in a number of private companies controlled by private equity funds concerning equity compensation and rollover investments
- Advised a private company in the contentious purchase from an exiting ownership group of a substantial block of shares exceeding $40 million in value
- Represented the majority owner in the establishment of a major league sports franchise expansion team, and represented the team in the public/private restructuring of the ownership and operation of a major multi-purpose arena and entertainment facility
- Regularly serves as borrower’s counsel to a major non-profit hospital, in more than two dozen tax-exempt bond financings with an aggregate borrowed amount of well over $1 billion.
Russ received his J.D. from Cornell University Law School and his B.A. magna cum laude from Washington & Lee University where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma.
Russ is a member of the American Bar Association and the Ohio State Bar Association.
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2009-2022
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2019-2021
News
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 12/5/2017Vorys is pleased to announce that 56 attorneys from the firm have been named 2018 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 3/28/2017This year, 54 Vorys attorneys were listed in the 2017 Columbus CEO “Top Lawyers” List.
- 12/2/2016Vorys is pleased to announce that 58 attorneys from the firm have been named 2017 Ohio Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 9/6/2011
- 8/9/2010
- 8/4/2009
Insights
- 1/6/2022The federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was adopted on January 1, 2021, and is anticipated to go into effect sometime in 2022.
- 4/9/2021The federal Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) mandates that U.S. legal entities and non-U.S. legal entities registered to do business in the U.S. report to the federal government specific information about their “beneficial owners” and the persons who form or register those companies, with certain exceptions.
- 1/11/2021On January 7, 2021, Ohio adopted a new statute governing limited liability companies (LLCs) in Ohio.
- 1/4/2021In what has been heralded by some as a major step towards combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and financial fraud, and by others as a sweeping intrusion on privacy and a burden on small businesses, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was enacted on January 1, 2021