Russell A. Britt

Russell A. Britt is a Partner in the Atlanta office of Hall Booth Smith. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Georgia State University in 2011.

While in law school, Russell served on the Georgia State Law Review as Legislative Associate Editor and was a member of the Moot Court Board. Russell traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 2011 Inter-American Sustainable Development Law Moot Court Competition, where his team was awarded Best Brief and placed third overall.

During his time at Georgia State, Russell received honors in Litigation and was a recipient of the Atlanta Law School fellow Scholarship. Additionally, the American Bar Association honored Russell with the Local Government Scholar Award for achievement in the area of Local Government Law.

For over six years, Russell worked for the Office of Governor Sonny Perdue as the Director of Local Government Relations and the Intergovernmental Affairs Liaison. In these positions, he was the Governor’s main point of contact for local governments and related interest groups. Additionally, he advised Governor Perdue on all local government matters and related policy issues, promoted the Governor’s policy agenda in the General Assembly, and worked with the OneGeorgia Authority in allocating more than $100 million of Georgia’s Master Tobacco Settlement funds. Russell also served as an extern for the Honorable Justice Harold Melton of the Georgia Supreme Court.

He graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While attending UGA, Russell was a member of the varsity football team.

Experience

Business Litigation

Russell has significant experience in litigating complex business disputes including both employment discrimination claims and breach of contract actions. He has experience representing multi-million dollar companies in various business torts involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duties, conspiracy, tortious interference with contractual and business relations, misappropriation of business opportunities, and equitable relief.

In addition, Russell has experience representing businesses on matters involving pre- and post-judgment collections and the enforcement of rights under loan and lease agreements, including multiple successes securing outstanding debts and retrieving property. He also has experience navigating the Bankruptcy Code for purposes of protecting creditors’ rights, including successfully arguing motions in federal court to secure relief from debtors’ bankruptcies and recover creditors’ rightful property.

Education

Russell’s litigation practice includes the representation of school districts and their officials and employees throughout Georgia. He has a breadth of experience defending school districts in a variety of actions, including claims brought pursuant to Title VII, Title IX, and 42 U.S.C. 1983.

Russell’s litigation experience has led him to present on these specialized areas of law, including the defense of school districts in Title IX sexual harassment cases. In addition, Russell has experience assisting school districts through outside general counsel work, such as reviewing and amending school board policies and advising school districts on best practices and compliance matters.

Government Affairs

With extensive firsthand experience in state government, Russell is also a key member of the firm’s Government Affairs practice group. In this role, he works with local governments and other clients on legislation matters and a wide variety of policy issues before the General Assembly, state agencies, and authorities.

He also has experience with economic development through the representation of both private business and the promotion of Georgia’s local communities, and he regularly assists clients with negotiating tax incentives and other assistance necessary to create continued economic growth in Georgia.

Governmental Liability

Russell’s practice specializes in both representing government entities and authorities as general counsel and defending them in litigation throughout Georgia. He currently serves as the County Attorney for Baker and Mitchell counties. In this role, he advises the counties and their local constitutional officers on all general legal matters, including constitutional and statutory authority, employment, elections, and zoning.

In addition to serving in the role of County Attorney, Russell has served various local government entities and authorities as outside counsel for discrete legal projects, including providing legal opinions on a broad spectrum of government-related issues. He also has served various government entities as local counsel in multi-million dollar bond issuances and refundings.

Russell’s litigation practice is focused on the defense of government entities in both federal and state court, and he has obtained countless successful results defending against civil rights claims brought under 42 U.S.C. 1983 and Title VII employment claims, including successes at trial and on appeal at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals.

Labor & Employment

Russell has extensive experience representing public and private employers in a wide variety of legal issues. His experience includes successfully defending employers against discrimination claims brought under Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act and harassment claims brought under Title IX.

He also has experience representing employers on various business claims arising out of employee and former employee conduct. In acting as general counsel for several public entities, Russell routinely advises clients on general employment matters, including employee policies and procedures and requirements under state and federal law such as the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Recognition

•Georgia Rising Star, Super Lawyers, 2022
•Best Brief, Inter-American Sustainable Development Law Moot Court Competition
•Local Government Scholar Award, American Bar Association

Publications

•Local Government
Mercer Law Review, December 2022
•Local Government
Mercer Law Review, December 2021
•Local Government Law
Mercer Law Review, December 2020
•Local Government Law
Mercer Law Review, January 2020
•Fish and Game HB 277
Georgia State University Law Review, February 2012

In the Press

Nine Hall Booth Smith Attorneys Selected as Rising Stars in the 2022 Georgia Super Lawyers Magazine

February 16, 2022
In the 2022 edition of the Georgia Super Lawyers magazine, the law firm of Hall Booth Smith (HBS) has once again been recognized for its outstanding legal work as nine of its attorneys are on the list of Rising Stars. Attorneys Russell Britt, Brittanie Browning, Jacquelyn Clarke, Sean Cox, Jake Evans, Alex Kaufman, Joel McKie,

Hall Booth Smith Names Eight New Partners

January 4, 2018
ATLANTA - Hall Booth Smith, P.C. is pleased to announce that it has named eight new partners, bringing the firm-wide total to 98. “We are delighted to welcome these talented professionals as new partners, ” said Alex Booth, managing partner of HBS. “They bring valuable experience and total dedication to our client projects and will