Russell is a partner and practice group leader of the Business, Banking and Real Property Services Teams. He was called to the Bar in 1984 and has been with Cohen Highley LLP since that time. Russell practices in the area of commercial litigation, including real property litigation and native law. Russell has extensive trial and appellate experience up to and including the Supreme Court of Canada.

Russell is the senior commercial litigation lawyer at Cohen Highley LLP. He has acted in all manner of real property disputes, including matters related to shoreline ownership, public and private use of lands, claims of possessory ownership based on historic use and occupation, boundary disputes, water drainage disputes, subdivision agreements, site development agreements, condominiums, real estate agent liability, professional negligence involving lawyers, appraisers and surveyors, building code and construction issues and security enforcement litigation.  In addition, Russell has handled a wide variety of other commercial litigation including breach of contract claims, shareholder disputes, partnership disputes, employment law issues for both employers and employees and mismanagement of investment funds.

Russell has developed an expertise in class action litigation and is presently co-counsel on two major class actions: the first involving aboriginal children who attended residential schools in Ontario, and the second, relates to an alleged defective heart prosthesis.

Russell is also the head of the Native Law Team at Cohen Highley LLP. He has acted as legal counsel for a number of First Nations in south-western Ontario. He has successfully negotiated the settlement of a number of land claims for First Nations and provides ongoing advice to First Nations on a wide range of matters including matters related to aboriginal rights and title, treaty claims, bylaw enforcement and employment law.

Russell is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, the International Bar Association and the Middlesex Law Association. He has published papers on a number of topics including Aboriginal Water Rights and Sexual Abuse. He has spoken at a number of conferences for members of the legal profession, as well as the Appraisal Institute of Canada, and the Ontario Land Surveyors.  He spoke on class actions at the 2002 Annual Conference of the International Bar Association in Durban, South Africa.

Russell is married and the father of four sons. He coaches baseball in the summer and is actively involved in the community in London.