The Law Office of David J. Russo is a general practice law firm located in Watertown, Massachusetts. My practice consists primarily of estate planning, including all aspects of wills, trusts, tax planning and estate administration. I emphasize personal relationships and attention to clients. Being a small firm allows me to control overhead and thus provide high quality, cost effective, legal services in my areas of practice. I have decided to limit the size of my firm and remain "small." This gives me the capacity to handle a broad variety of legal matters promptly and competently, without trying to be all things to all clients. I maintain a professional network of carefully selected and capable attorneys in Massachusetts, California, Florida and New Jersey who work in practices in which I choose not to engage. I am thus able to ensure that all of my clients' legal needs are attended to, without sacrificing the small firm atmosphere and my personal relationships with and accessibility to clients. I take my duty of confidentiality very seriously. The attorney-client privilege requires that I cannot disclose any information we discuss during my representation without your consent. Please feel free to bring up any concerns you have about this professional obligation. I am a service business and, essentially, sell experience, knowledge, time, solutions, advice, advocacy and best efforts, all under the umbrella of “legal services.” Quantifying, in a fair way, the value of such service has been a problem for lawyers for centuries and is probably the largest impediment to trust between clients and their lawyers. Candid and explicit discussion about the business contract and “legal fees” is essential to a productive working relationship with my clientele. Generally, I charge a flat fee for estate planning instruments. It is difficult to give an estimate of my fee without an understanding of your estate planning goals and what instruments you decide are necessary. Therefore, after our consultation I will provide you with recommendations, possible alternatives and the associated costs. I believe this is the fairest way to handle fees. Accordingly, I will not draft any instruments until we agree on a fee. I encourage any feedback you may have in this area. I earned by Bachelor of Arts degree from Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts and my law degree from New England School of Law in Boston. During law school, I served as a law clerk to attorney David A. Mills (now a justice on the Massachusetts Appeal Court). I have held non-attorney positions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Attorney's Office where I was exposed to administrative law and federal criminal law. I currently hold the position of Health Insurance Specialist with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration or "HCFA"), which is the federal agency that administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs. I have worked for this agency since 1995. I am a member of the Watertown Historical Commission, the municipal body in Watertown that devises policy on the town's historical resources. I have advised the commission and the Watertown Historical District Commission on a number of legal issues. I am admitted to the Massachusetts Bar and am a member of the Boston Bar Association. |
