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

• Handled the purchase and sale of more than a dozen hotels throughout the Pacific Northwest.
• 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, and construction easements.
• Managed affordable housing projects, 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.

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Client Results

Memberships

• International Alliance of Law Firms, Real Estate Group Chair (2015-2016)
• Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors, Member, Former Chair; Public Affairs Committee, Chair
• Washington State Bar Association, Real Property, Probate and Trust Section, Member of the Executive Committee (2013-2015)
• Vancouver Parks Commission, Member for 8 years, Commission Chair for 3 years

Awards

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

News

Seminars & Speaking Engagements

Community Activities

• Royal Oaks Country Club, First Tee Program, Volunteer
• St. Joe's Classic fundraiser, Emcee
• Vancouver’s 2015 Street Funding Commission, Member
• Clark College, Business Law Adjunct Professor
• Hudson’s Bay Mock Trial Team, Coach

Services