Francesca M. Russo Attorney At Law

Francesca is a shareholder in the Miami office, focusing her practice on intellectual property law and litigation, commercial litigation and alternative dispute resolution.  She has worked with a broad range of clients both domestic and international on all phases of the litigation process before federal and state courts in various areas of commercial litigation, including but not limited to breach of contract and tort claims, civil theft, trade secrets, trademark litigation, transportation litigation, real estate litigation, corporate and business litigation, directors and officers liability, and fraud. In addition to litigation, Francesca has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution. She has substantial experience serving as local counsel for firms seeking to enforce or defend their clients’ rights in South Florida.

• Background

  Francesca was born in Bedfordshire, England. Her family later moved to Montreal, Canada, where she continued her studies.  In Montreal, Francesca attended McGill University where she majored in Political Science.  She graduated with First Class Honors in 1988.  She then attended law school at Ottawa University in Ontario, Canada, where she studied law in French and English and obtained a combined Bachelors of Common Law and Civil Law degree. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1993.  Before moving to the United States, Francesca practiced as a civil law attorney handling civil and commercial litigation in Quebec, Canada.  Francesca earned her J.D. from Nova Southeastern University in 1999, graduating Summa Cum Laude.  Francesca’s hobbies and passions include fashion, running and tennis. She lives in Weston, Florida and she has two children, Kassandra Mira and Alexander Michael who are highly competitive tennis players.

• Education
  • McGill University, B.A., political science (first class honors, 1988)
  • Ottawa University School of Law, LL.B-LL.L (magna cum laude, 1993)
  • Nova Southeastern University School of Law, J.D. (summa cum laude, 1999)
• Admissions
  • Florida (1999)
  • Quebec (1993)
  • U.S. District Courts Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit and Federal Circuit
  • U.S. Court of International Trade
  • U.S. Supreme Court
• Professional Associations and Memberships
  • Florida Bar
    • International Law Section
      • Former chair
  • Intellectual Property Law Association of Florida
  • International Transportation Lawyers' Association
  • International Law Quarterly
    • Editor, 2000-2005
  • Prime Time Business Network, Weston Chapter
• Awards and Recognitions
  • South Florida Legal Guide
    • Top Lawyer, Litigation, 2020-2021
  • Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2009
• Articles and Publications
  •  "Does a Florida Minority Shareholder in a Closely Held Corporation Owe a Fiduciary Duty to Fellow Shareholders?"(Co-Author)  Florida Bar Journal
  • "Terms and Conditions: How they Govern Liabilities in the Transport of Goods," Smart Business Miami, The Management Journal for Corporate Growth
  • "Practice Issues Before the Court of International Trade," Chair of Steering Committee
  • "On Second Thought: Supplementing Expert Reports," (Co-Author) Daily Business Review (Dec. ’18)
  •  "Shifting Sands: Sanctions And The Failure To Preserve Data," (Co-Author) Daily Business Review (Oct. ’17)
• Presentations and Seminars
  • Presenter, "Can You Spot a Fake? Intellectual Property in Art & Fashion Law," American Bar Association International Law Section Fall Conference, Madrid, Spain, September 15, 2022
  • Presenter, International Law Section’s (ILS) Lunch and Learn Program, April 27, 2022
  • Emcee, "Restoring Bilateral Trade Between Canada and Florida," GrayRobinson Webinar, March 11, 2021
  • Presenter, "Overview of Intellectual Property Law," Prime Time Business Networking Group, Weston, Florida, February 23, 2021
  • Lecturer, "International Commercial Law"
  • Lecturer, "Freight Forwarding and Shipping"
  • Presenter, "Freight Forwarders and Liens: Some Practical and Legal Considerations"
  • Presenter. "Fashion and Intellectual Property Law"
  • Presenter, "All That Glitters Is Not Gold-The Intellectual Property of Luxury Branding," (DBR-Corporate Counsel Summit)
  • Presenter, "The Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Florida," Quebec-Florida Conference, Quebec City
  • Presenter, "The "Real Fashion Police"-Intellectual Property Protection in the Fashion Apparel Industry,"
• Civic
  • Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce
  • Italian American Chamber of Commerce
  • French-American Chamber of Commerce
  • Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Quebec Chamber of Commerce
  • Adrienne Arsht Center
• Reported Cases
  • Tessina Holdings Pty. Ltd v. Trend S.P.A., No. 16-62899-CIV-MARTINEZ/GOODMAN, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 171017 (Oct. 1, 2018, S.D. Fla.)
  • Tessina Holdings Pty. Ltd v. Trend S.P.A., No. 16-62899-CIV-MARTINEZ/GOODMAN, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159879 (Sept. 27, 2017, S.D. Fla.)
• Languages
  • French
  • Italian
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese