Russell Putnam, JD
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
• Private Placements
• Qualified Opportunity Zones
• Oil & Gas
Prior to his current role as Co-President, Russell Putnam served as manager at FactRight since 2014, providing due diligence analysis on alternative investment programs, primarily focusing on qualified opportunity zones, oil and gas, and private placement programs.
Russell’s work experience in the financial services industry, and as an attorney, make him uniquely qualified to provide due diligence services on alternative investments. Russell contributes as a due diligence analyst for FactRight to ensure that broker dealers have identified key risks in alternative investments. Russell works with broker dealers and product sponsors to provide clear analysis of complex strategies, governance provisions, fee structures, regulatory matters, and tax benefits and consequences. Prior to joining FactRight, Russell worked for GMAC-RFC, where he gained valuable experience in the securities industry as an asset specialist for a structured finance group focused on the pooling and distribution of asset-and mortgage-backed securities. He also provided financial institutions with compliance services, including federal and state lending requirement research, while working as a compliance-consulting analyst for Wolters Kluwer Financial Services. Additionally, Russell reviewed discovery related documents for relevance, privilege, and confidentiality concerns while employed as a project attorney for Kroll Ontrack.
- 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
- 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.
- FactRight Takes Salt Lake Cityby Kate@FactRight.com (Kate Stephany) on September 7, 2023 at 5:11 pm
*Olympic Trumpet flair*