Russell Putnam, JD
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Private Placements
• Qualified Opportunity Zones
• Oil & Gas
Russell Putnam has been with FactRight since 2014 and currently serves as the firm’s Co-President. In his current role, Russell oversees offering due diligence for private placements, including private real estate funds, qualified opportunity zones, oil and gas programs, and other private equity strategies. Russell also supports FactRight’s operational due diligence efforts, focusing on organizational analysis, governance frameworks, and acquisitions and asset management processes.
Before joining FactRight, Russell gained broad experience in the financial and legal sectors. He worked as an asset specialist at GMAC-RFC, supporting a structured finance group focused on the pooling and distribution of asset- and mortgage-backed securities. He also served as a compliance consulting analyst at Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, where he assisted financial institutions with research on federal and state lending regulations. Additionally, Russell worked as a project attorney at Kroll Ontrack, reviewing legal discovery documents for relevance, privilege, and confidentiality. This diverse background enables him to provide broker-dealers and product sponsors with clear, in-depth analysis of complex investment structures, governance provisions, fee arrangements, regulatory matters, and tax considerations.
- J.D., Magna Cum Laude, Hamline University School of Law
- B.A., Economics and Political Science, St. Olaf College
- Member, Minnesota State Bar
- Toastmasters International Member, All-American Speakers, Eden Prairie, Minnesota
- CALI Awards for Academic Excellence in Negotiation, Antitrust, Commercial Law-Payment Systems, Wills and Trusts Drafting
- Hamline Law Review Associate Editor
- Hamline Law Review Associate
Recent Blogs from FactRight
- Shamrocks & Due Diligence: A Recap of FactRight’s 2025 RIA Due Diligence Conferenceby Kate@FactRight.com (Kate Stephany) on March 27, 2025 at 6:07 pm
- Action Packed Recap from FactRight’s 2024 Annual Due Diligence Conferenceby sarah@factright.com (Sarah Kieser) on October 10, 2024 at 7:14 pm
*Dramatic suspenseful music* Thank you to the 480 industry professionals and wealth managers who ventured to the home of the Batman Building, Nashville, Tennessee for FactRight’s 2024 Annual Due Diligence conference. It was a legendary success, and we, the FactRight staff, are so grateful for your continued support and participation.
- Understanding Master Lease Mechanics in DST Underwritingby Houston Hyde, Mountain Dell Consulting and Brandon Raatikka, FactRight on May 23, 2024 at 8:04 pm
As the DST market has grown over the past several years, the nuances of available programs have proliferated. Given the structural requirements of Revenue Ruling 2004-86, these programs do not behave like traditional real estate investments in certain respects. In our experience working with wealth advisory firms seeking 1031 solutions for their clients, understanding the differences among master lease structures in the market can be a common hurdle. Closely related is how a particular structure may behave differently in various performance scenarios, and how the property underwriting interacts with that structure.
- Highlight Reel from FactRight’s 2024 RIA Spring Due Diligence Conferenceby Kate@FactRight.com (Kate Stephany) on March 13, 2024 at 5:07 pm
With March Madness upon us, what better way to celebrate then to recap some of the shining moments that happened at the FactRight RIA Spring Due Diligence Conference—and what a conference it was!
- Loan Guarantee Fees in Investment Programs: Risk Compensation or Rent Seeking?by kevin@factright.com (Kevin Kirkeby) on November 20, 2023 at 7:53 pm
Company owners and other executives often receive compensation for providing a personal guarantee to a commercial loan their investment program is seeking. The size of this personal guarantee fee varies considerably, as does the level of disclosure. We believe the personal guarantor should be compensated, but it must be commensurate with the risk the guarantor is taking on. Drawing upon FactRight’s experience in reviewing private real estate and other alternative investment programs, this blog post focusses on personal guarantees (rather than corporate guarantees), discusses the typical range of fees, and reviews the factors that influence a reasonable fee amount.