Mr. Russak is a shareholder in the firm who practices in the area of financial restructuring, insolvency, commercial finance law and finance related litigation. He has extensive experience representing lenders and other creditors in their dealings and disputes with insolvent or potentially insolvent entities in bankruptcy court proceedings, in state and federal court non-bankruptcy litigations and in out-of-court workouts. He also advises lenders and other commercial interests in connection with new loans and other transactions.

Mr. Russak has represented banks, agented bank groups, pension fund advisors, insurance companies, savings and loan associations, IT service providers, creditors committees, liquidating trustees, receivers and landlords in a variety of industries, with a significant industry concentration in real estate finance and related disputes, from middle-market single asset cases to very large, multi-state, multi-collateral portfolio loans. His real estate related finance disputes have involved a wide range of asset classes, including residential development cases, industrial properties, office buildings, apartment buildings, hotels, oil and gas and geothermal assets, golfing and other entertainment properties and retail and regional mall investments.

Mr. Russak also has significant experience in general corporate and commercial finance insolvency matters, representing lenders, creditor committees and other stakeholders in a wide range of industries such as manufacturing, retail, mail presorting, beverage, defense, health care technologies, insurance and energy. He has represented clients as victims of multi-million dollar embezzlements and thefts. He has advised a number of clients about high-stakes risks and risk mitigation strategies in their dealings with potentially insolvent governmental entities.

Mr. Russak's representations have included the defense of lender liability lawsuits, the prosecution and defense of preference and fraudulent transfer claims (including leveraged buy-out litigation), the representation of the victims of multi-million dollar embezzlement and fraud schemes in state and federal court and general commercial litigation engagements.

Mr. Russak is a frequent speaker on real estate insolvency and real estate capital markets matters and has been engaged to testify as an expert witness on real estate finance disputes. He was selected to be a "Southern California Super Lawyer" in the February 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 listings of "Super Lawyers" published by the "Law and Politics" magazine and "Los Angeles Magazine."


Education

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA , J.D., 1982
AMHERST COLLEGE , B.A., magna cum laude, 1979


Admissions

Licensed to practice law and admitted in the States of California and New York


Representative Engagements

  
         
       
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