Robert Ruesch is a Partner, Chair of the firm's Litigation and Trial Department and Co-Chair of the Construction Law Group. Rob maintains an active practice in state and federal courts in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Rob has expertise in complex contract, business, environmental and insurance disputes. Rob also focuses on construction, design and surety law where he counsels his clients through all aspects of the construction process, including contract negotiation, procurement, bid protests, claims management and avoidance as well as dispute resolution. Rob’s practice also includes personal injury and premises liability disputes.
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 jury verdict awarding our client in excess of $900,000 in U.S. District Court in Vermont on behalf of a wrongfully terminated general contractor.
• Arbitration award of a differing site conditions and delay claim which earned headlines in newspapers for a "KO" of the adverse party.
• Bid protests on several state and municipal projects resulting in substantial contract awards for our clients.
• Pretrial resolution of substantial construction site accident claims for personal injuries and property damages with our construction manager client making no contribution toward settlement.
In addition to his accomplishments in the area of claims and disputes, Rob's construction practice also focuses on helping our clients avoid claims through effective contract strategies and risk allocation. Rob’s recent projects include:
• Representation of the construction manager on a $200 million bio-technology facility in New Hampshire.
• Lead counsel to Bowdoin College on substantial infrastructure and capital improvement projects, including the Walker Art Museum, Watson Ice Arena, Fitness Center, and multiple other projects.
• Representation of two Maine counties on $20 million+ projects for new jail facilities.
• Advised the Gulf of Maine Research Institute on construction and procurement of its building and pier facilities on Portland's waterfront.
Rob has been included in The Best Lawyers in America ® for excellence in his practice area since 2003. He is a member of the ABA's Forum on the Construction Industry, the Fidelity and Surety Law Section and the ABA's Tort and Insurance Practice Section. Rob is a frequent speaker before industry groups related to the construction industry. He co-authored the Maine Chapter of State-By-State Guide to Construction Contracts and Claims, (Aspen Publishers) as well as the Maine Chapter of the ABA’s Performance Bond Manual. Rob also published "A Primer For Getting Paid" which appeared in Building Profits, the national journal of the Construction Financial Management Association. Rob has also authored substantial portions of "A Practical Guide to Mechanics Liens," (National Business Institute, 2008); "Resolving Problems and Disputes on Construction Projects in Maine," (National Business Institute, 2007); "Public Procurement Contracts and Regulations in Maine," (National Business Institute, 2007) as well as "Maine Construction Law" (Lorman Education Services, 2001) and "Construction Claims in Maine" (National Business Institute, 2002).
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