Biography

In his three decades of legal practice, Russell has forged a well-regarded reputation in the fields of class actions, aboriginal law, and commercial litigation. Russell, who has made a career of striving for the pinnacle of achievement (beginning with his graduation ranking third in his class from the University of Windsor Law School in 1982), has proven that he is not content to rest on his laurels - he has been (and continues to be) recognized as one of Canada's Best Lawyers since 2006.

Russell has played a key role in many noted cases, including acting as lead counsel in the first certified Indian Residential class action in Canada. Russell was a participant in the pan-Canadian negotiations leading to the over-$5-billion settlement of the Indian Residential School litigation.

Other notable cases have included: serving as lead counsel in Berry v. Pulley, a 2011 class action suit involving seniority, pension, and wage issues;  Martin v. Lahey, the first certified and settled class action in the Province of Nova Scotia, and Anderson v. St. Jude Medical, Inc, a 146-day trial in 2010-11 resulting from a class action concerning an alleged defective mechanical heart valve.

In addition to the aforementioned areas of practice, Russell has significant experience in sexual abuse litigation, and shoreline/real estate/commercial disputes, including partnership disputes, minority shareholder claims, and wrongful dismissal actions. For more than 25 years, Russell has also defended lawyers against professional negligence claims.

Russell served from 2005-10 as the chair of the International Bar Association's indigenous peoples committee, and was vice-chair in 2010-11. He currently stands as a member-at-large on the Ontario Bar Association's aboriginal law section executive.

Married with four sons, Russell is dedicated to giving back to the community. He serves as counsel to the London, ON chapter of Meals on Wheels, and has worked diligently to mentor the next generation - as a baseball coach, a Scouts Canada leader, and a Sunday School teacher. He is an avid baseball fan, who also enjoys travelling, reading, Sudoku puzzles, and spending as much time as possible with his family.