Joseph Russello is a partner in Robbins Geller’s Melville office. He began his career as a defense lawyer and now represents investors in securities class actions at the trial and appellate levels.
Russello spearheaded the team that recovered $85 million in litigation against The Blackstone Group, LLC, a case that yielded a landmark decision from the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on “materiality” in securities actions. Litwin v. Blackstone Grp., L.P., 634 F.3d 706 (2d Cir. 2011). He also led the team responsible for partially defeating dismissal and achieving a $50 million settlement in litigation against BHP Billiton, an Australia-based mining company accused of concealing safety issues at a Brazilian iron-ore dam. In re BHP Billiton Ltd. Sec. Litig., 276 F. Supp. 3d 65 (S.D.N.Y. 2017).
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2026 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2025 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2024 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2023 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2023 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2022 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2022 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2021 | Securities Litigation |
| The 2020 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2020 | Securities Litigation |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers | 2019 | Securities Litigation |
Recently, Russello was co-counsel in a lawsuit against Allied Nevada Gold Corporation, recovering $14.5 million for investors after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed two dismissal decisions. In re Allied Nev. Gold Corp. Sec. Litig., 743 F. App’x 887 (9th Cir. 2018). He was also instrumental in obtaining a settlement and favorable appellate decision in litigation against SAIC, Inc., a defense contractor embroiled in a decade-long overbilling fraud against the City of New York. Ind. Pub. Ret. Sys. v. SAIC, Inc., 818 F.3d 85 (2d Cir. 2016).
Other notable recent decisions include: In re Qudian Sec. Litig., 189 A.D. 3d 449 (N.Y. App. Div.,1st Dep’t 2020); Kazi v. XP Inc., 2020 WL 4581569 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 5, 2020); In re Dentsply Sirona, Inc. S’holders Litig., 2019 WL 3526142 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Aug. 2, 2019); and Matter of PPDAI Grp. Sec. Litig., 64 Misc. 3d 1208(A), 2019 WL 2751278 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2019). Other notable settlements include: NBTY, Inc. ($16 million); LaBranche & Co., Inc. ($13 million); The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. ($12 million); and Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. ($11 million).