Irv has served the hospitality industry for over twenty years. He has counseled hotel clients, as lead counsel, in hundreds of hotel ventures and transactions worldwide, including restructurings and workouts, strategic planning and partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, management agreements, franchising and operational matters, and strategic litigation and claims resolution.

Irv is the 2008 recipient of the national Anthony G. Marshall Award, given annually by the Board of the Hospitality Law Conference in Houston for pioneering and lasting contributions to the field of hospitality law.

He is currently president of the Hospitality Industry Bar Association. Russ works with hotel and restaurant clients on strategic planning, transactions, franchising and operational matters, including mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, management agreements, franchise, beverage licensing, intellectual property, sales, marketing, construction and procurement.

Russ’s prior experience in the hospitality industry includes positions at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.(Vice President, Associate General Counsel and Acting General Counsel), and at The Ground Round, Inc.(Director of Legal Affairs and Corporate Secretary).