Russell H. Rein, Attorney

Mr. Rein, after completing his primary and secondary education in Escambia County, Fla., public schools, received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He received a Juris Doctorate degree from the Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, N.J.

Prior to law school, Mr. Rein was a daily newspaper reporter and editor, including service as the top editor for The Santa Barbara (Calif.) News-Press, which at the time was a New York Times Co. newspaper, and The Herald in Rock Hill, S.C., which is a McClatchy newspaper. He was a senior editor of The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., serving the northern suburbs of New York City, prior to entering law school.

In law school, Mr. Rein served as vice president and a senator for the Student Bar Association, was selected by his class to deliver the commencement address, and was honored as Best Oralist in Appellate Advocacy. He received recognition for two years of service to the Seton Hall Center for Social Justice Pro Bono Service Program.

At LSU, Mr. Rein was selected for inclusion in Who's Who Among American University and College Students and served as editor and managing editor of The Daily Reveille, the university's daily newspaper.

During law school, Mr. Rein completed year-long internships with the New Jersey Public Defender's Office, and with the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the New York Attorney General's Office.

Mr. Rein is licensed to practice law before the state courts of Florida, New York and New Jersey, and in the federal courts for the Northern District of Florida, Southern District of New York, the Eastern District of New York, and the District of New Jersey.

Mr. Rein is a member of the Executive Board of the Escambia Santa Rosa Bar Association, the Pensacola Chapter of the American Inns of Court, the American Association for Justice, the Florida Justice Association, and the First Circuit Justice Association.

Mr. Rein focuses his practice in representing victims of motor vehicle negligence, premises negligence, wrongful death, medical malpractice, defective pharmaceutical products and medical devices, and consumer abuse.

Legal Experience

April 2009 to present; Solo Practice as Law Office of Russell H. Rein, P.A.

February 2005 to April 2009; Associate Attorney; AYLSTOCK, WITKIN, KREIS & OVERHOLTZ, PLLC (formerly Aylstock, Witkin & Sasser, PLC) (Martindale-Hubble AV-rated firm); Pensacola, FL. Primarily focused in representation of plaintiffs in personal injury (auto accident and premises liability); insurance; and medical malpractice. Also involved in the firm's national mass tort litigation (with focus on representation of cases filed in New York and New Jersey). Extensive experience in investigating claims, negotiation (pre-suit, in-suit and formal mediation), and litigation in both federal and state courts in a multidistrict jurisdictional practice. Extensive background in discovery, motion practice, litigation and appeals.

June 2002-November 2004; law clerk and Associate Attorney; LYNCH & LYNCH, LLP (now THE LYNCH LAW FIRM, P.C.) (Martindale-Hubble AV rated firm); Paramus, NJ. Prior to being admitted to practice as an attorney in New York and New Jersey, he worked as a law clerk involved in preparing motions, legal research, discovery and litigation support for this active New York Metropolitan Area personal injury law firm (MVAs, premises liability and medical malpractice). Included mostly plaintiff representation, but did participate in some insurance defense motion practice.

June 2001-May 2002; law clerk in OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MEDICAID FRAUD CONTROL UNIT, Pearl River, NY. Working in close association with assistant attorney general in litigation of Medicaid fraud (played important role in major trial prosecuting a physician in White Plains, N.Y., for multiple counts of fraud relating to false claims for Medicaid reimbursement).

September 2000-May 2002; pro bono legal support for the Essex County Office of the Public Defender, Newark, NJ; primarily conducted pre-arraignment interviews of defendants to assist public defender in representing defendant at arraignment/bail hearings.