Lewis Brisbois Strengthens West Coast Maritime Practice With 2 Hires

September 01, 2016

Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome David Russo as a partner and Matthew Johnston as an associate to its San Francisco office in the growing Admiralty, Maritime & Energy Litigation Practice. The addition of Russo and Johnston ramps up Lewis Brisbois’ West Coast maritime presence, which the firm has developed in response to client need. 

San Francisco, California (Sept. 1, 2016) – Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome David Russo as a partner and Matthew Johnston as an associate to its San Francisco office in the growing Admiralty, Maritime & Energy Litigation Practice.

The addition of Russo and Johnston ramps up Lewis Brisbois’ West Coast maritime presence, which the firm has developed in response to client need. They will join Lynn Krieger, who started at Lewis Brisbois last month.

“We are thrilled to have David and Matthew join Lewis Brisbois and anchor our maritime practice in San Francisco. Along with Lynn, the three will form an energetic and experienced team to handle all manner of maritime cases in San Francisco,” said Admiralty, Maritime & Energy Litigation Practice Chair Jenny E. Michel.

Russo has more than 30 years of experience in admiralty matters, cargo claims, product liability matters, maritime personal injury defense, and contracts and commercial law, as well as transactional practice focusing on maritime contracts and technology licensing.

“Lewis Brisbois’ dedication to building a strong admiralty law practice on the West Coast and strengthening its national reach were key in attracting me to the firm,” Russo said. “I’m excited to join Lewis Brisbois and use its national platform to better serve my clients both locally and across the country.”

Russo is a member of the San Francisco Marine Claims Agents Association, the Transportation Lawyers Association, and the Association of Marine Underwriters, and is a proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States.

He is joined at Lewis Brisbois by Johnston, a young associate concentrating on admiralty law and maritime defense litigation in both state and federal courts.

“I am passionate about practicing maritime law, so joining Lewis Brisbois’ Admiralty, Maritime and Energy Practice is a great opportunity to build on my experience. I look forward to contributing to the Admiralty practice and working on a wide range of maritime issues,” Johnston said.

The addition of Russo and Johnston builds on the recent hire of Lynn Krieger, an attorney with more than 15 years of experience handling cases and claims for cargo losses at sea and on land.

About Lewis Brisbois:

Established in 1979, Lewis Brisbois is a national, full-service law firm with more than 1,100 attorneys and 40 offices in 26 states. Our national practice is sophisticated, multi-faceted, and well-versed in current legal trends, while our individual state practices provide vast resources and knowledge of procedural and legal nuances.

For more information regarding Russo and Johnston, please contact Marketing Director Martin Hughes at Martin.Hughes@lewisbrisbois.com.