Russell L. Hirschhorn

New York, NY

Russell Hirschhorn, co-head of the ERISA Litigation Group at Proskauer Rose LLP, has two decades of experience representing plan fiduciaries, trustees, sponsors and service providers on the full range of ERISA and state law benefit and fiduciary issues in both complex class action litigation and single plaintiff litigation and arbitration. Russell provides practical guidance, develops unique litigation defense strategies and, when appropriate, mediates successful resolutions. He represents clients across a wide array of publicly-held, multi-national companies and privately owned companies across a multitude of industries including, banking, finance and investments, pharmaceuticals, and retail products, to name just a few.

Russell is a past management co-chair of the American Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section, Employee Benefits Committee. He also writes on cutting-edge ERISA litigation issues, serving as the co-editor of the Firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Blog and is the Editor-in-Chief of Employee Benefits Law (Bloomberg BNA).

Russell has dedicated a substantial amount of time to pro bono work and, in recognition of that work, was awarded the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush. His pro bono work has included (1) working with September Space following the events of September 11th; (2) securing $1 billion in social security benefits for probationers and parolees whose social security benefits were improperly denied on the basis of having been accused of violating the terms of their probation or parole; (3) obtaining religious accommodations from building codes on behalf of Amish in upstate New York; (4) drafting amicus briefs with The Innocence Project; (4) drafting amicus briefs in opposition to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security final rule related to the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds; and (5) representing a veteran in a discharge upgrade case.