Russell L. Porter, a Member of the Sills Cummis & Gross Litigation Department, is an experienced litigator with a strong track record of delivering top-rate results to clients across a wide array of industries. His clients include aviation logistics and facility service companies, renowned dining establishments, international food and beverage vendors, construction design professionals, attorneys, and cosmetic manufacturers.

Equally adept in the courtroom as at the negotiating table, Mr. Porter advances his clients’ interests in a cost-effective manner, navigating through the delays that often plague legal disputes. Clients seek out Mr. Porter for his keen ability to resolve matters before they escalate into full-scale litigations and to navigate them effectively in the event they do. He formulates a tailored strategy that prioritizes each client’s unique needs and achieves the best possible outcome at a cost that is commensurate with the task at hand.

Outside General Counsel: Mr. Porter often serves as outside general counsel to businesses in a wide range of industries. His clients know he is available to assist whenever needed. Mr. Porter is best known for proactively identifying his clients’ goals and crafting comprehensive strategies to achieve them.

Commercial Disputes: Mr. Porter works with businesses of all sizes to navigate a wide variety of commercial disputes. He has handled matters involving breach of contract, fiduciary duty violations, claims brought under the Uniform Commercial Code, real property-related issues, and construction projects. He has a keen eye for evaluating the strengths and potential pitfalls of particular fact patterns and advises his clients with a focus on enhancing the bottom line.

Hospitality: Mr. Porter is often called on to represent hospitality businesses, frequently representing them in commercial real estate disputes, wage and employment claims, premises liability matters, and regulatory issues. Once again, Mr. Porter’s clients seek him out for his pragmatic approach and ability to deliver significant value.

Practices

  • Litigation

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Representative Matters

    • Successfully defeated motion for conditional class certification in a suit brought under the Federal Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law for allegedly unpaid wages, notwithstanding the traditionally lenient standard applied to such applications. The resulting opinion, Zheng v. Good Fortune Supermarket Group (USA), Inc., 13-CV-60 (ILG) (E.D.N.Y. Sep. 12, 2013), has been cited in numerous briefs and court opinions concerning similar motions.
    • Obtained favorable resolution of claims brought by the owner of a retail dining chain against a former business partner related to breach of fiduciary duty and diversion of corporate opportunities. The case settled shortly after depositions of the adverse parties and Mr. Porter’s client recovered substantially all of the relief initially sought in the complaint.
    • Obtained favorable resolution of claims for breach of contract brought by cosmetics distributor against cosmetics manufacturer. Represented the manufacturer who was sued for more than $2 million. The case settled at mediation for under $25,000 after Mr. Porter immersed himself in the case and debunked all of the plaintiff’s theories, instead demonstrating that the alleged breaches at issue were nearly entirely related to the plaintiff’s own delays and failure to honor the terms of the parties’ contract.
    • Has recovered more than $1 million for his clients on various matters related to non-payment of invoices and bills with vendors, contractors, subcontractors, and other third parties.

Newsroom

In the News

Rankings and Recognition

  • Selected for inclusion in:
  • New York Metro Super Lawyers®* "Rising Stars" 2018, 2020-2024, Business Litigation

* See Award Methodology. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.


Education

  • J.D., Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University (cum laude )
  • B.A., Boston University

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • New Jersey