Partner
Suite 1600
600 Jefferson St
Lafayette, LA 70501
337.593.7610 tel
337.593.7601 fax


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Gary Russo is a partner in the firm's Business & Commercial Litigation Practice Group and is a member of the firm's board of directors. Prior to joining Jones Walker in 2009, he was a named partner in the Lafayette-based law firm Longman Russo, APLC.

For the past twenty-eight years, a large portion of Mr. Russo's legal practice has focused on fraudulent coding schemes for several nationwide insurers. With respect to health care, his practice is two-fold --working with hospitals and medical institutions in the civil and criminal defense of False Claims Act, anti-kickback statutes and Stark violations. 

His work includes incorporating proper protocol and monitoring to prevent fraudulent actions from being filed. Additionally, he works with health care institutions during the investigative process of civil investigative demands. He conducts internal audits for medical institutions to identify patients who are fraudulently using medical benefits for non-medical purposes or who are falsifying information on applications for medical services.

Noteworthy

• Listed in the 2012 edition of Louisiana Super Lawyers in the area of Energy & Natural Resources (also listed in 2011)
  
• Listed in Best's Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys since 2010
  
• AV® Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell

Representative Matters

Multi District Litigation (MDL)

• In re: Apple iPhone 3G Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2045 - Defense Liaison Counsel
• In re: Chinese-Manufactured Drywall Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2047 - Insurance Steering Committee Member
• In re: Oil Spill by the Oil Rig "Deepwater Horizon," MDL No. 2179 - Defense Steering Committee
• In re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2299 - Special Master 

Telecommunications

Defense of nationwide class action lawsuits:

• Iberia Credit Bureau, Inc., et al v. Cingular Wireless LLC, f/k/a BellSouth Mobility, et al, Civil Action 6:01 CV2148. We were successful in getting the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the district court's refusal to enforce the client's arbitration clause.
• Sutton Steel & Supply, Inc., et al v. BellSouth Mobility Inc., Docket No. 91421, Iberia Parish, Louisiana.

Enjoined a $98-million bond issuance of a municipality:

• BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. v. The City of Lafayette and The Lafayette Public Utilities Authority, Docket No. 2005-5245, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana (LUS fiber optic)
• BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. and Louisiana Cable & Telecommunications Associations v. The City of Lafayette and The Lafayette Public Utilities Authority, Docket No. 2006-2019, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana
• Ryan Franklin Perry and BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. v. The City of Lafayette and The Lafayette Public Utilities Authority, Docket No. 2005-0380, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana

Environmental

Defended oil field legacy suits and claims involving allegation of exposure to toxic chemicals in oilfield waste:

• Clarice Friloux, et al v. Campbell Wells Corporation, et al, Docket No. 75524, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, consolidated with Docket No. 76744 and Docket No. 79481. Successfully defended the operator of a non-hazardous oilfield waste site, in a five-week jury trial and suit brought by an entire community.
• Bonne Terre Lawn Care and Richard Owen, et al v. Campbell Wells, et al, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana. Represented the operator of a non-hazardous oilfield waste site in a suit unrelated to Friloux, in which we were successful in having the claims dismissed after a five-day prescription hearing in state court in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
 

Insurance Fraud

Handled numerous civil suits adverse to various companies, agents, and/or consultants, and worked with the FBI and U.S. Attorneys throughout the United States offices for multiple insurance companies, in the following representative matters:

• Howard Trucking Company (California): Resulted in multiple criminal convictions
• Coastwise Transport (Oregon): Civil award, and resulted in multiple criminal convictions
• Westcoast Truckers Association (California): Civil award, and resulted in multiple criminal convictions
• Intermodal Transportation (Louisiana) 
• Nationwide Transportation Inc. (Kentucky/Ohio)
• Mutual Indemnity Thrift Association (New York): Civil award, and resulted in multiple criminal convictions
• Transportation Services (Florida): $65-million civil award with multiple criminal convictions
• Best Western Hotels (Arizona): Involved allegations of fraud in the insurance purchased on behalf of a nationwide hotel chain

Workers' Compensation Insurance Premium Fraud

• Handled cases throughout the United States involving complex premium disputes

Insurance and Homeowners & Commercial Coverage

• Handled more than 700 Hurricane Katrina claims for a national insurance carrier

Banking

• Represented banks in various commercial lending cases 

News

• Jones Walker Announces New Partners, Office Heads, and Board of Directors Members
• Fifty-Six Jones Walker Attorneys Named to Louisiana Super Lawyers 2012
• Forty-Two Attorneys Named to Louisiana Super Lawyers 2011
• Dennis L. Doise Joins Jones Walker
• Douglas C. Longman, Jr. Joins Jones Walker's Lafayette Office
• 10/12 Magazine Highlights Jones Walker’s Growth, Success

Memberships

• American Bar Association
• Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
• Lafayette Bar Association
• Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel
• Louisiana State Bar Association
• State Bar of Texas
• Texas Association of Defense Counsel