Russ applies his prior business education, industry involvement and 30 years of legal experience to provide his clients with innovative solutions to real estate, financial, oil and gas and other commercial disputes. He represents title insurance underwriters, title insurance agents, mortgage brokers, lenders, and other corporate and individual clients in matters involving land title issues, mortgage fraud, real estate disputes, lending and truth-in-lending issues, insurance coverage issues, contract disputes, and business torts.
Russ is also a member of the Board of Managers of the law firm’s title agency, Multi-State Title Agency, Ltd. Multi-State is an agent for six title insurance underwriters including Chicago Title Insurance Company, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company, First American Title Insurance Company, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, and Stewart Title Guaranty Company.
Successfully defended clients in multiple loan and multiple party mortgage fraud cases.
Successfully obtained summary judgment declaring that the clientโs recorded mortgage securing a $225,000 loan had first priority despite the existence of a prior unrecorded mortgage.
Successfully obtained the dismissal of a fraudulent conveyance and preference transfer action against several directors and shareholders of a magazine and periodical wholesaler.
Assisted in successfully pursuing and obtaining a judgment for a corporate and individual client totaling approximately $180,000 for claims arising out of the opposing partiesโ breach of an asset purchase agreement and non-compete agreement.
Assisted in the successful defense and in obtaining a judgment in favor of a hospital dismissing a doctorโs claims that the hospital had allegedly breached its obligation to bill for the doctorโs services.
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1992,ย cum laude
The Tax Lawyer,ย Member, Editorial Board
University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Sciences, B.A., 1989,ย cum laude
University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business, B.S., 1989,ย cum laude
New Jersey, 1992
New York, 1993
Ohio, 1997
U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Court of Appeals,ย Sixth Circuit
The Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Litigation – Real Estate, 2013-2024, โLawyer of the Year,โ 2018, 2022
Martindale-Hubbellยฎย AV Rated
Selected for inclusion as a 2013ย Top Rated Lawyer in โBanking and Finance Lawโ inย The American Lawyer Corporate Counselย
Selected for inclusion in โWhoโs Who in Energyโ inย Columbus Business First,ย 2013-2014, 2014-2015
Selected for inclusion in Central Ohioโs Top Lawyersย byย Columbus CEOMagazine,ย 2009-2020
Ohio Super Lawyersยฎย Rising Star, 2005-2007
Ohio State Bar Association
Columbus Bar Association, Professional Ethics Committee; Common Pleas Court Committee; Real Property Committee; Federal Courts Committee
Ohio Land Title Association, Past President (2017-2018) and Past Trustee (2013-2019)
American Land Title Association, Title Counsel Committee
Ohio Bankers League
Columbus Regional Logistics Counsel
Frost Brown Todd LogisticsConnectยฎ Committee Member
โWho Wants to be an Ethical Title Agent?โ Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, September 21, 2023.
“Modern Ethical Issues Facing Title Agents,โ Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Columbus, Ohio, November 11, 2022.
“Modern Ethical Issues Facing Title Agents,โ First American Title Insurance Company, Louisville, Kentucky, June 9, 2022, and Columbus, Ohio, October 13, 2022.
“Modern Ethical Issues Facing Title Agents,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Dublin, Ohio, April 7, 2022.
โHot Topics in Title Insurance Litigation: What is Old is New Again.โ First American Title Academy, Columbus, Ohio, March 10, 2022.
โPandemic Fatigue… Maybe… Cyber Fraud and Elder Abuse Fatigue… Never!โ Westcor Land Title Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, November 16, 2021.
โHot Topics in Title Insurance Litigation: What is Old is New Again.โ Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus, Ohio, June 29, 2021.
โPandemic Fatigue . . . Maybe . . . Cyber Fraud and Elder Abuse Fatigue . . . Never!โ Kentucky Land Title Association, Columbus, Ohio, June 9, 2021.
โLetโs Be Careful Out There: Identification for Cyber Fraud and Elder Abuse in the Title Industry,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Columbus, Ohio, September 22, 2020.
โTitle Agency Ethics: Operating Ethically in an Unethical World,โ Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, July 23, 2020.
โTitle Agency Ethics: Operating Ethically in an Unethical World,โ Kentucky Land Title Association, Louisville, Kentucky, November 13, 2019.
โTitle Agency Ethics: Operating Ethically in an Unethical World,โ Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Westerville, Ohio, November 11, 2019.
โReal Estate Closing Ethics: Operating Ethically in an Unethical World,โ Ohio State Bar Association, Columbus, Ohio, October 16, 2019.
โTitle Agency Ethics: Operating Ethically in an Unethical World,โ Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Louisville, Kentucky, June 4, 2019.
โMineral Rights:ย Ownership and Potential Title Claims,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Worthington, Ohio, April 18, 2017.
โMortgage Fraud: The Evolving Problemโฆ.How to Detect and Avoid It,โ Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Dublin, Ohio, March 25, 2015 and Louisville, Kentucky, June 2, 2015.
โThe Coming Wave of Director and Officer Lawsuits: Navigating the Deluge of FOIC Enforcement, Dodd Frank and Borrower Lawsuitsโ; Ohio Bankers League/West Virginia Bankers Association/Illinois League of Financial Institutions Annual Convention, Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, July 30, 2013.
โOil and Gas Litigation: The New Rageโ, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Dublin, Ohio, November 13, 2012.
โ2012 Ohio Oil and Gas Law Update: The Beginning of the Avalanche???โ, Ohio Land Title Association, Columbus, Ohio, September 11, 2012.
โ2012 Case Law Update and Legislative Updateโ, Ohio Land Title Association, Dublin, Ohio, May 4, 2012.
โEthics in Title Agency Operations: Knowing Right from Wrongโ, Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Dublin, Ohio, November 15, 2011.
โBest Practices in Developing Controls for Agency Operationsโ, Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Columbus, Ohio, November 11, 2011.
โMortgage Fraud: Identification of Red Flags,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Columbus, Ohio, June 14, 2011.
โBest Practices in Developing Controls for Agency Operations,โ Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio, November 16, 2010.
โTitle Court,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Columbus, Ohio, May 8, 2010.
โClaims Chroniclesโ, Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Columbus, Ohio November 11, 2009.
โMortgage Fraud: An Ounce of Prevention is a Worth a Pound of Cure,โ Ohio Land Title Association, Dublin, Ohio, May 1, 2009.
โWhatโs Hot in the Title Insurance Industry?โ, Frost Brown Todd LLC Title Insurance Industry/Seminar Series, Columbus, Ohio, October 10, 2008.
โMortgage Fraud โ Red Flags at the Table,โ Old Republic National Title Insurance Company, Independence, Ohio, November 14, 2007.
โAffiliated Business Arrangements โ Now and in the Future,โย The Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Title Insurance Industry Breakfast Exchange, Columbus, Ohio, August 22, 2007.
โProposed Regulations for Amended Senate Bill 185 โ Impact to the Title Insurance Industry,โ The Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Title Insurance Industry Breakfast Exchange, Columbus, Ohio, January 18, 2007.
โConsumers Strike BackโฆWhat Amended Senate Bill 185 Means to You and Your Title Insurance Business,โ Co-presenter, The Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Title Insurance Industry Breakfast Exchange, Columbus, Ohio, July 18, 2006.
โMortgage Fraud: Federal, State and Local Criminal Enforcement and Civil Perspectives,โย Old Republic Nationalย Title Insurance Company, Dublin, Ohio,ย March 16, 2006.
โThe Hot Issues: Ensuring Compliance in the Residential Mortgage Lending and Title Insurance Industry,โ The Schottenstein, Zox & Dunn Title Insurance Industry Breakfast Exchange, Columbus, Ohio, December 14, 2005.
โWire Fraud . . . Whatโs Your Tolerance?โ Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, March 2023.
“The Title Insurance Industry Migraine that Will Not Subside: The Business Email Compromise Scam,โ Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, December 2021.
โPoof Goes the E&O Coverage of a Spoofed Title Agency: The Morale to the Authentic Title Services, Inc. v. Greenwich Insurance Company, et al. Decision,โ Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, January, 2021.
โA Mortgage by Any Other Name is Still a Mortgage: Griffin v. First Natโl Accept. Co., 2013-OHIO-4302 (11th Dist. Sept. 30, 2013),โย Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, October 2013.
โAnother Ohio Appeals Court Finds Negligence is not a Bar to the Application of the Doctrine of Equitable Subrogation,โ Frost Brown Todd Banking Law Blog, April 3, 2008.
โInadequately Informed Notaries: Nightmares to the Lending and Title Insurance Industries,ย Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, November, 2002.
โJunk Faxes: Do Recent Federal Regulations Assist in Navigating the Murky Waters of Advertising by Fax?โย Broker Magazine, Broker Magazine and Source Media, Inc., March, 2007.
โJunk Faxes: Are You In Compliance?โย Title News, American Land Title Association, Nov./Dec., 2006.
โJunk Faxes: More Than A Small Claims Matter,โย ย Broker Magazine, Broker Magazine and Source Media, Inc., March, 2006 andย Title News, American Land Title Association, Nov./Dec., 2005.
โSafeguards to Ensure Proper Mortgage Recordings,โย ย Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, August, 2003.
โThe Importance of Proper Notarizations: A Lesson Never to Be Forgotten,โย Title Topics, Ohio Land Title Association, December, 2004.
โWill the Real Owner of This Mortgage Please โStandโ: The Necessary Standing for Ohio Foreclosure Actions After Schwartzwald,โ Frost Brown Todd Financial Services Blog, December 28, 2012.
April 5, 2018