- Areas of Law
- Transportation liability defense, insurance coverage, intra - interstate commerce, contracts, trucking, customs brokerage, freight forwarding disputes, cargo loss, damage, The Hartford Act; Carriage of Goods by Sea Act; the Warsaw Convention
- Litigation
- Unfair competition/trade practices
- Collections
- Creditor's litigation
- Discovery in aid of execution
- Garnishments, liquidation, replevin of personal property
- Construction mediation, construction defects
- Commercial development, contract disputes, liability defense, surety issues
- Corporate, business, D & O responsibilities, distribution arrangements
- Import, export, insurance issues, licensing, distribution, general contract matters
- Liquidations, shareholder agreements, stock agreements, stockholder, partner, LLC disputes
- Government relations, constitutional law, civil rights
- Intellectual property litigation, trade secrets
- Non-compete covenants
- International trade, joint ventures, shipping, port regulations, trade regulation, arbitrations
- Labor, employee benefits, employment contracts,
- Fiduciary duty claims, independent contractors, wrongful termination
- General litigation, alternative dispute resolution, appellate
- Conspiracy
- Defamation, fraud, insurance bad faith, lender liability claims
- Professional negligence, liability
- Minority stockholders
- Regulated industries
- Maritime law, Federal Maritime Commissions regulations, litigation
- Media, communications, libel and slander, telecommunications
- Real estate litigation
- Articles
- News
- Events
“I’m responsive to my clients’ needs and requests and understand their ultimate goals and objectives. Because of this, my clients view me as more than an attorney who gets them results; they consider me their trusted business advisor as well.”
--Francesca Russo-Di Staulo, Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution
Francesca concentrates on general commercial litigation, surety disputes, transportation, and international transactions. Issues Francesca has addressed during her career involve freight forwarding, customs brokerage, commercial contracts, sale of goods, cargo disputes, and cargo losses. She has represented clients whose interests extend into and arise from within various countries of the Caribbean and Latin America and several countries of The European Union.
“I practice law because it’s the most effective way I know to help correct injustices for individuals and businesses. It’s extremely rewarding to know that I play an important role in helping my clients attain concrete and winning solutions to their legal and business problems.”
While still living in Quebec, Canada, prior to moving to Florida, she practiced as a civil law attorney handling civil and commercial litigation as well as some transactional matters. In addition to her law practice Francesca has conducted seminars and presentations to the International Law Section of The Florida Bar on such topics as: Practice Issues Before the Court of International Trade, International Commercial Law, and Freight Forwarding and Shipping.
From Francesca’s Case Files
Print Settlement Leads to New Chapter: I filed suit on behalf of a national printing company against a larger competitor for various alleged contractual breaches. To resolve the litigation, I helped structure a creative business deal/settlement that resulted in my client selling its business to the competitor at a very favorable price. This helped my client obtain closure to various problems that had been percolating for some time. The end result was satisfactory to both parties and, most important, it permitted my client’s representative to enter into a much-desired new chapter of her life.
Devising a Winning Exit Strategy: When an international textile-manufacturer with machinery and equipment located in a foreign country encountered serious financial difficulties and conflicts with its joint-venture partner located there, I helped structure an effective and quick exit-strategy for the manufacturer. My strategy allowed my client to extricate itself from an impending financial disaster while also permitting it to safely and quickly remove its machinery and equipment from the foreign locale.
Education
- Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, J.D., summa cum laude, 1999
- Ottawa University School of Law, LL.B., magna cum laude, 1993
- Ottawa University School of Law, LL.L., cum laude, 1992
- McGill University, B.A., Political Science, with honors, 1988
Bar Admissions & Memberships
- Quebec, 1993
- Florida, 1999
- U.S. District Court, Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, 1999
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1999
- U.S. Court of International Trade, 1999
Noteworthy
- International Law, Gary Vause Memorial Scholarship Committee, Vice-Chair
- Fluent in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese
Professional Affiliations
- International Transportation Lawyers' Association
- W Forum, founding member, Chair, 2005
- Florida Bar, International Law Section, Chair
- Quebec Bar
- International Law Quarterly, Editor, 2000-2005
Community/Civic Involvement
- Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Trustee
- Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Trustee
- Italian-American Chamber of Commerce
- French-American Chamber of Commerce
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Patron Committee, Secretary of Executive Committee, Executive Member
Presentations & Publications
"International Commercial Law," lecturer
"Freight Forwarding and Shipping," lecturer
"Freight Forwarders and Liens: Some Practical and Legal Considerations," presenter
"Practice Issues Before the Court of International Trade," Chair of Steering Committee
