About Russell M. Black

Russell Black is a business lawyer who helps clients on the variety of issues they encounter every day. Companies and their owners rely on Russ from the earliest stages of formation, as they grow and expand, and when they are eventually sold. With more than 30 years' experience representing closely held, entrepreneurial and growth-oriented businesses, Russ provides his clients not only with legal assistance, but strategic business planning input as well.

Legal advice at every stage of the business life cycle

Russ understands that as businesses grow and evolve, their legal needs do as well. His approach is to learn all he can about a business and its owners, so he can see the full path of their history, current location and desired destination. Then he applies his legal skills and business acumen gained over three decades working with a wide variety of business clients to counsel them in a manner that's geared toward their specific needs and goals. Efficiency of time and cost are always key considerations, so Russ works quickly to either provide the solution personally or to bring together and manage team members with the needed experience and knowledge to provide a legal solution that’s appropriately measured for the situation.

Russ represents clients in a wide variety of industries, and as a result has developed a broad skill set. He counsels on a range of corporate issues, including operating agreements, stockholders' agreements, partnership agreements, manufacturing/distribution agreements, vendor/purchaser agreements, licensing of technology and intellectual property, agreements between service providers and users, leases and financing. Because the proper structuring and handling of personnel issues are a central element of business success, Russ focuses a portion of his practice on employment law, including compliance with federal and state laws and the negotiation of all manner of agreements and situations dealing with employees, independent contractors, compensation, noncompetition, proprietary rights and separation. He also has extensive experience negotiating acquisitions, sales and mergers of businesses.

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Practice Focus

  • Business formation, including complex ownership structures, considerations in debt and equity raises, and employment, noncompete and equity agreements with key personnel
  • Business growth issues, including negotiating and structuring key contractual relationships, ongoing labor and employment compliance, and acquisitions and spin-offs of business components
  • Business purchases, sales and mergers, including positioning businesses for sale

News

Practices
Industries
Education
  • Vanderbilt University Law School, JD
  • The University of Tennessee, BS
Bar Admissions
  • North Carolina
Community Involvements
  • Mecklenburg County Bar
  • North Carolina Bar Association
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • Best Lawyers in America
    Employment Law – Management, 2021–2025
  • The Legal 500 United States
    Recommended Attorney, 2016–2019
Award Methodologies