Rachael L. Russo

Rachael is a member of the firm’s Complex Business and Commercial Litigation practice group and focuses on complex commercial contract disputes, construction litigation, white collar criminal investigations, antitrust litigation, claims arising out of Ponzi schemes and other alleged frauds, securities litigation, and trade secret/noncompetition litigation. 

Rachael has experience handling complex construction litigation matters, including disputes involving public construction contracts and public school projects. She has also successfully argued construction litigation issues at the appellate level. Rachael also has considerable experience in multidistrict litigation and class action defense, including representing a national bank in a federal multi-district commercial fraud case. She has also successfully defended a major manufacturer in an action to prevent the public disclosure of confidential information produced during the discovery process. She has litigated civil and criminal actions in state and federal courts throughout the US, and has represented clients in arbitration, mediation and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings. 

Rachael also has experience advising and managing nonprofit corporations and is the past Executive Director of The Prayers From Maria Children’s Glioma Cancer Foundation. 

Experience

• Represents regional and national architectural firms in complex litigation involving claims of breach of contract, breach of warranty, and negligent design of large public construction projects
• Prevailed in the Fifth District Court of Appeals on behalf of architect in case involving Ohio’s construction Statute of Repose
• Prevailed as Lead Associate in the New Jersey Supreme Court on behalf of a Fortune 500 company on a high profile issue involving the protection of trade secrets and confidential information produced during the litigation discovery process
• Represented area bank in multi-million-dollar Multi-District Litigation involving claims of commercial fraud, bad faith and breach of contract
• Defeated breach-of-contract complaint at trial and on appeal on behalf of area nursing home
• Represented clients in breach of contract issues including non-compete agreements, class actions including shareholder class and derivative actions, common law fraud, and complex business and commercial litigation
• White collar criminal matters with focus on antitrust, trade regulation, distribution issues, and securities litigation.

Services

• Complex Business & Commercial Litigation
• Construction Law
• Appellate

1. The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law, J.D.
   • with honors
2. The Ohio State University, B.A., Political Science
   • magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

1. Ohio

Professional Affiliations

• Former Executive Director at Prayers from Maria Children's Glioma Cancer Foundation