A Robert Ruesch

Practice Areas

-Construction

-Construction Litigation

-Litigation & Trial

-Professional Liability & Licensure

-Real Estate Litigation

Career

Rob focuses on construction, design, and surety law, and counsels his clients through all aspects of the construction process, including contract negotiation, procurement, bid protests, claims management and avoidance, and trials, arbitration, and mediation.

Rob excels at presenting complex claims and defenses in mediation, arbitration, and court. He has achieved significant victories for his clients in each forum, including a $1 million jury verdict for a contractor in a breach of contract and wrongful termination case in federal court in Vermont. Rob has tried, mediated, and arbitrated hundreds of contract, real estate, and construction disputes. In addition to his accomplishments in the area of claims and disputes, Rob focuses his construction practice on helping clients avoid claims through effective contract strategies, risk allocation, and negotiation. Rob maintains an active practice in state and federal courts throughout New England and regularly speaks on topics related to construction law. Rob co-chaired the ABA Forum on Construction Law’s Fall Meeting held in Seattle in 2021. Rob was recently elected to the Forum on Construction Law’s Governing Committee for a three year term.

Professional Memberships

-Program Co-chair, ABA Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting 2020

-Steering Committee, Division I (Litigation and Dispute Resolution), and Chair, Distance Learning Subcommittee, SPEC Committee, ABA -Forum on Construction Law

-Member, Associated General Contractors of Maine

-Member, American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, Public Contract Law Section and Fidelity and Surety Law Practice Section

Personal

Rob is an avid, albeit mediocre, runner and golfer. Rob has completed 18 half-marathons and six marathons in Maine, New York, Manchester City, and Boston.

Clients

-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Investment Management Company

-Bowdoin College

-Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine

-Landry/French Construction

-Thompson's Point

-The Jackson Laboratory

Education

Awards

Experience

-Procurement

-Recovery From Surety and Professional Liability Carrier for Defective Turbine and Biomass Energy Facility Components

-Subcontractor Prevails on Wrongful Termination and Delay Claims Following 18 Day Arbitration

-Breach of AIA Construction Contract and Waiver of Consequential Damages By Owner

-Client Recovers on Claim On Differing Site Conditions Claim Involving Subsurface Contaminated Soils

-Defense of Breach of Contract, Negligent Construction and Breach of Duty of Workmanship Claims

-Engineering Malpractice

-Defense of Contractor - Prevailing Wage Claims

-Project Owner Breached Contract by Attempting to Terminate Contractor

-Surety Takeover of Mountain Top Communications Infrastructure Contract Following Owner’s Default of Contractor

-Differential Building Settlement Claims

-Successful Design and Construction Defects Claims for Large Hospital Client

-Jury verdict awarding our client in excess of $900,000+ in U.S. District Court on behalf of a wrongfully terminated general contractor

-Contractor Prevails at Trial on Breach of Contract Claims and Gets Legal Fees Awarded

-Successful Defense of Claims for Delays, Owner Interference and Extra Work