Rachael L. Russo

As Practice Group Manager for the Business Litigation Group, Rachael focuses on complex commercial contract disputes, construction claims and litigation, complex arbitration, class actions, claims arising out of Ponzi schemes and other alleged frauds, shareholder disputes, and trade secret/noncompetition litigation.

Rachael has over 20 years of experience handling complex commercial litigation in federal and state courts, as well as complex mediations and arbitrations. Rachael has extensive experience in construction litigation matters, representing both public and private owners, general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals. 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. 

Rachael has experience advising and managing nonprofit corporations and is the past Executive Director of The Prayers From Maria Children’s Glioma Cancer Foundation. She is also a member of the Roetzel & Andress Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Experience

• Represents owners, contractors, and design/engineering firms during the claim process and in complex litigation and arbitration
• Prevailed in the Fifth District Court of Appeals on behalf of architect in case involving Ohio’s construction Statute of Repose
• Prevailed 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 developer
• 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

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
   • with honors in the liberal arts

Bar Admissions

1. Ohio

Court Admissions

1. U.S. District Court, Northern District of Ohio
2. U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio

• Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation (2024)

Professional Affiliations

• Former Executive Director at Prayers from Maria Children's Glioma Cancer Foundation
• American Bar Association Forum on Construction Litigation