Patrick Russell was the 2021-2022 Chair for the ADR Section of The Florida Bar. As a member of the Executive Council, Patrick also previously served as the Section’s Secretary, Chair-Elect, and Chair of the Health & Wellness Committee. In 2020, Patrick organized the acclaimed “Be Well Stay Well” six-part continuing legal education series for the ADR Section on lawyer health and wellness.

Patrick’s goal for the ADR Section during 2021-2022 was to increase connection and the influence of the Section on all matters impacting dispute resolution in Florida. This mission was ultimately accomplished with the Section’s first in-person meeting with the new Chief of the Florida Dispute Resolution Center to enhance communication and coordinate common interests; establishment of regular attendance at the ADR Rules & Policy Committee meetings to stay abreast of new issues; the drafting of numerous legal comments to proposed rule and policy changes for dispute resolution including oral argument before the Florida Supreme Court; the creation of a strategic plan for the Section to better understand and serve the needs of Section members; and better collaboration with other Sections of The Florida Bar, most notably the Trial Lawyers Section which culminated in a joint event between the two Sections at the Annual Bar Convention as the Presidential Showcase. Due to the Section’s strong fiscal management, social media presence, quality newsletters and publications, and numerous continuing legal education programs, the financial health of the Section has never been better.

Patrick is a proud graduate of the University of Miami School of Law. Admitted to practice law in Florida in 1994, Patrick’s prior experience includes being a trial partner with Lydecker Diaz in Miami, an ethics trial lawyer with The Florida Bar, and managing his own law firm for over eighteen years. Patrick became certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Circuit Civil Mediator in 2009 and has worked full-time as a mediator since 2021. Patrick’s mediation practice focuses on all business and civil litigation matters, including contract disputes, insurance law and first-party insurance claims, personal injury and premises liability, and real estate issues.

Patrick’s mediation philosophy of “Getting to We” is facilitated through a meaningful mediation where the parties mindfully communicate and share information so they can collaborate, jointly solve problems, and make informed decisions for the resolution of their dispute. Besides his passion for resolving disputes, Patrick also works through his non-profit, the Making History Project, to conduct oral history interviews of U.S. military veterans. The goal of the Making History Project is to preserve Veterans’ stories while having them archived with the U.S. Library of Congress, as well as to bring greater public awareness to the long-term effects of combat trauma on Veterans.