A. Robert Ruesch

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 also serves as an arbitrator and mediator, and is on the American Arbitration Association’s roster of construction arbitrators.

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 construction law topics. 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. In addition to his work for clients, Rob is an active construction mediator and a member of the American Arbitration Association’s construction arbitration panel.

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.

Services/Industries

• Construction
• Construction Litigation
• Litigation & Trial
• Professional Liability & Licensure
• Real Estate Litigation

Education

• University of Maine School of Law (J.D.)
• University of Massachusetts, Amherst (B.A., cum laude)

Public Service

• Member, St. Lawrence Arts Center, Portland, Maine

Bar Admissions

• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• U.S. Virgin Islands

Court and Other Admissions

• U.S. District Court for the District of Maine
• U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire

Memberships

• Governing Committee Member, ABA Forum on Construction Law
• Program Co-chair, ABA Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting 2020
• 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

Honors

• Recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business under Litigation: General Commercial
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® as the Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2016, 2018, 2021, 2024, 2026)
• Named The Best Lawyers in America^® as the Litigation – Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year” in Portland, Maine (2012, 2026)
• Listed in The Best Lawyers in America^® under Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction in Portland, Maine
• Named a Local Litigation Star for Construction, Professional Liability, Real Estate and Trade by Benchmark Litigation
• Selected by peers for inclusion in New England Super Lawyers under Construction Litigation: Business, Professional Liability: Defense and Business Litigation

Learn more about the third-party ratings, rankings, and selection processes used for inclusion.