Don Russo works with private parties and public entities on the purchase and sale of both ‎commercial and industrial real estate property. He excels in resolving the complex ‎environmental and title issues surrounding projects such as office buildings, apartment ‎complexes, hotels, strip malls, mixed-use projects and industrial developments.

Don also assists the firm’s clients with commercial and industrial leases, financing ‎(multi-million dollar loans from insurance companies and national lenders to hard money ‎lenders), and all sorts of related real estate issues, including title, closing, boundary ‎adjustments and easement complications.‎

Experience

• Assisted the Port of Vancouver with multiple sales of industrial development properties.
• Handled the purchase and sale of more than a dozen hotels throughout the Pacific Northwest.
• Represented the Port of Vancouver in the purchase of approximately 100 acres of former ALCOA smelter operations on the Columbia River.
• Recently handled the sale of a hospital in Central Washington.
• Helped clients throughout the Pacific Northwest purchase and sell numerous office buildings in more than 25 different states; re-negotiated and extended leases within those buildings.
• Represented clients in the purchase and sale of numerous strip malls, including the preparation of new leases, and the negotiation and revision of existing leases.
• Handled the purchase and sale of industrial land for both private and port clients, including land with environmental concerns, and saw those purchases through to development and successful leasing.
• Drafted a variety of easements to accompany the purchase of industrial and commercial real property, such as maintenance easements, water and other utility easements, access easements, public trail easements, turnaround easements, stormwater reserve easements, rail and pipeline easements, conservation easements, reciprocal easements for shopping centers, including cross access easements, sidewalk easements, parking and construction easements.
• Managed affordable housing project transactions, including the purchase of land and existing buildings, related title issues, subordination agreements, closing issues and financing from multiple state and federal sources as well as the private sector.

Client Results

Memberships

• Member, Clark County Development and Engineering Advisory Board (2018-present)
• Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors, Member, Former Chair; Public Affairs Committee Chair and Co-Chair (2007-Present)
• International Alliance of Law Firms (nka Ally Law), Real Estate Group Chair (2015-2016)
• Washington State Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Member of the Executive Committee (2013-2015), bar #8223
• Washington State Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Member of the Legislative Review Committee (2013)
• Vancouver Parks Commission, Chair and Member (1988-1994)

Awards

• Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Business Award
• Clark College, Adjunct Professor of the Year award

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

Publications

Community Activities

• St. Joseph’s School Golf Classic fundraiser, Emcee (1995-Present)
• Vancouver Mayor’s Street Funding Commission, Member (2015)
• Clark College, Business Law Adjunct Professor (1989-1997)
• Hudson’s Bay Mock Trial Team, Coach (1999-2003, 2008)

Services