Russell M. Black concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate, transactional, financial services and employment law for regional and national companies in a wide variety of industries. His clients range from professional service providers to mortgage brokers and lenders, financial services firms, property developers, contractors, manufacturing companies, distributors, outplacement personnel services, software and intellectual property developers and consultants, marketing firms and franchisors. Additionally, Russ has developed an innovative practice representing country clubs through all stages of their evolution.
Having represented closely-held, entrepreneurial and growth-oriented businesses for more than 25 years, Russ is particularly attentive to their unique and evolving needs. As a result, clients often call upon Russ not only for legal assistance, but for strategic business planning input as well. Russ is intimately familiar with the issues involved in formation-related decisions, structuring of capital raises, negotiation of vendor and distribution arrangements, structuring of lending and leasing arrangements, expanding through acquisitions and positioning businesses for sale. In that regard, Russ counsels on a range of corporate issues, including operating agreements, stockholders' agreements, partnership agreements, manufacturing/distribution agreements, vendor/purchaser agreements, licensing of technology and intellectual property, agreements between service providers and users, leases and financing. He also has extensive experience negotiating acquisitions, sales and mergers of businesses.
Because the proper structuring and handling of personnel issues are a central element of business success, Russ focuses a portion of his practice on employment law, including compliance with Title VII, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and other federal and state laws. He frequently assists clients in the negotiation and preparation of employment, consulting, separation, non-competition and confidentiality agreements, as well as the preparation of policies and employee handbooks and the resolution of disputes with existing and former employees.
