H. Bruce Shreves heads Simon, Peragine, Smith & Redfearn’s construction/surety practice group. Prior to entering private practice, he served with the U. S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, and the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps, attaining the rank of Major.
Bruce has lectured and written on numerous occasions on construction and surety law issues for the American Bar Association and other national programs. He has also been a frequent speaker on arbitration and mediation topics for the American Arbitration Association, American Bar Association and other groups. He has authored many publications and papers, including the book Louisiana Construction Law, West Publishing (1991), is co-editor of “The Law of Payment Bonds”, American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section (1998), and is a contributing author to the Law of Suretyship.
Bruce is affiliated with the American Arbitration Association, handling dispute resolution in the construction, insurance and surety industry, with particular emphasis on complex construction cases. He is the recipient of the Martin J. Andrews Award for lifetime achievement in fidelity and surety law. He currently serves as Chair of the Louisiana Bar’s Section on Fidelity, Surety and Construction Law, is a member of the American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, and is a past Chair of the American Bar Association’s Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Tort Trial Insurance Practice Section.
Bruce was named by New Orleans Magazine as one of the “Best Lawyers in New Orleans” in the fields of Construction Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Additionally, Best Lawyers in America has awarded him “Lawyer of the Year” in Construction Litigation, Mediation, or Arbitration each year since 2012. He has been listed as a Louisiana Super Lawyer in the areas of Construction Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution and is recognized as one of their Top 10 Lawyers in Louisiana. He is a member of the American College of Construction Lawyers. He was recently honored as the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Distinguished Attorney for 2018.
Bruce is a member of the Board of Directors and former President of Bread for the World. He is also a past President of the Louisiana Bar Foundation’s Pro Bono Project. Bruce formerly served on the Board of Boys Town of Louisiana.
Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana
- South Dakota
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
- U.S. Court of Military Appeals
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Education
- J.D., Georgetown University Law School, 1969
- A.B., Holy Cross College, 1965
Memberships
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- Chair, Fidelity, Surety & Construction Section, 1995—present
- American Bar Association
- Chair, Committee on Fidelity & Surety Law of TIPS, 1999—2000
- South Dakota Bar Association
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Chair, TTIPS CLE Board, 2002—2004
- Chair, New Orleans Pro-Bono Project, 2004
- Board of Directors, New Orleans Bread for the World
- ABA Forum Committee on the Construction Industry
- International Association of Defense Counsel
- Defense Research Institute
- Chairman, Fidelity & Surety Committee, 1992—1993
- American College of Construction Lawyers
Publications
- Co-Author, “Federal Miller Act Chapter,” 2023 TIPS FSLC Spring Conference Program Materials, The Electronic Payment Bond Deskbook
- Author, “How to Lose Your Mediation in 5 Steps,” LAGC News To Build On Newsletter, 2021
- Co-Author, “Louisiana Construction Law,” 2017 Edition, Thomson Reuters
- “Is Mediation Vulnerable to Lawsuits?,” American Arbitration Association, 2007
- “Mediating the Complex Multi-Party Construction Dispute,” American Arbitration Association, 2001
- Co-author, “Legal Issues For Project Managers: An overview of Construction Law, Delay Claims And the New A-201 Document,” AGC 79th Annual Convention, 1998
- Co-editor, “The Law of Payment Bonds,” American Bar Association, Tort Insurance Practice Section (San Francisco, California), 1998
- Co-author, “The Law of Suretyship,“ American Bar Association, Tort Insurance Practice Section (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta), 1993
- Co-author, “Financial Guarantee Bonds: When Your Client Is Sued By An Unhappy Investor,“ The Brief, Vol. 21, No. 2, Winter 1992
- Contributing Author, “Commercial Blanket Bond Annotated,” American Bar Association, Tort Insurance Practice Section, 1991
- Co-author, “Louisiana Construction Law Manual,” Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1991
- Contributing Author, “Discovery of Dishonesty Under a Fidelity Bond,“ Defense Research Institute, 1989
- Author, “Contractor’s and Surety’s Rights and Liabilities Upon Owner Insolvency: An Update on the ‘Pay When Paid’ Clauses,” The Construction Lawyer, Vol. 8, No. 3, August 1988
- Co-author, Construction Law in Louisiana, Professional Education Systems, 1985
- Editor, “Surety Law,” Professional Education Systems, 1984
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker, “How to Win-or Lose-Your Mediation and Arbitration,” Gulf Coast Construction Industry Conference sponsored by the Alabama Bar Construction Law Section and the Alabama AGC, Mobile, Alabama, July 2022
- Speaker, “Mediating the Complex Surety Dispute,“ American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, FSLC Spring 2018 Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 2018
- Speaker, Surety Claims Institute Annual Meeting, Farmington, Pennsylvania, “Complex Mediations and Settlement Techniques for Sureties,“ June 2017
- Speaker, “How Did I Lose This Arbitration?,” Baton Rouge Bar Association Construction Law Section, June 7, 2016
- Speaker, “Ethical Dilemmas in Mediation and Arbitration,“ Surety Claims Institute Annual Meeting, Newport, Rhode Island, June 22-24, 2016
- Committee Chair, Panel Discussion, “The DRB Experience – Common Traits of Effective and Ineffective Boards,” Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, American College of Construction Lawyers, Amelia Island, March 16-19, 2017
- Speaker, “Complex Mediations and Settlement Techniques for Sureties,“ Surety Claims Institute Annual Meeting, Farmington, Pennsylvania, June 20-23, 2017
- Moderator, “Substance and Practice: Mediating the Complex Fidelity Claim and Evaluating Claims Arising from Securities Law Violations;“ Mediation Panel: “Mediation Strategies and Ethical Issues Arising In the Course of Private Sessions with the Mediator;” American Bar Association, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, 2016 Mid-Winter Meeting, New York, January 21, 2016
- Speaker, “Current Trends In Contractor Licensing Enforcement & Other Perils To The Start Of A Project,“ American College of Construction Lawyers, 26th Annual Conference, Miami, Florida, February 20, 2015
- Speaker, “Do You Think It’s Alright? Pushing the ADR Envelope – Getting Out of the Arbitration Weeds,“ American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry, New York, January 20, 2011
- Speaker, “Eighth Annual Advanced Mediation and Advocacy Skills Institute,“ ABA, Section of Dispute Resolution, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 11-12, 2010
- Speaker, “Mediation of the Complex Construction Case: An Overview,“ Louisiana State Bar Association/ADR Section Seminar, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 22, 2010
- Speaker, How to “Win” Your Construction Mediation, Louisiana Construction Law Seminar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, September 24, 2010
- Speaker, “How to Lose a Mediation in Ten Steps,“ New Orleans Bar Association, ADR Committee Luncheon, New Orleans, Louisiana, July 1, 2010
- Speaker, “Mediation of the Complex Construction Case: An Overview,“ New Orleans Bar Association, Construction Law Seminar, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 22, 2010
- Speaker, “The Troubled Project: Strategies For Dealing With The Surety: Arbitration Issues and Alternate Sources of Recovery By the Surety,“ American College of Construction Lawyers, 21st Annual Conference, North San Diego, California, February 18-21, 2010
- Speaker, “What Happened To My Mediation – Five Rules To Keep Your Mediation Out Of Court,“ National Bond Claims Association, Scottsdale, Arizona, October 10-12, 2007
- Speaker, “Litigating The Multi-Party Construction Defect Case, Mediation of the Multi-Party Construction Cases In the Post-Katrina World,“ LSU Construction Law Seminar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, September 21, 2007
- Speaker, “What You Can’t Not Know, Is Mediation Vulnerable to Lawsuits? Analysis of Recent Litigation,“ American Arbitration Association, The Construction Mediation Conference, Miami, Florida, March 30, 2007.
- Speaker, “Mediation – What is it? How Does It Work?” ABA-TIPS/LSBA 2006 Katrina Program, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 6, 2006
- Co-Chair and Speaker, “The Texas Construction Client Doing Business in Louisiana: The General Essential,“ Houston, Texas, December 9, 2005.
- Speaker, “Arbitration and Mediation in the Construction Industry,“ LSU Construction Law Seminar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 25, 2004
- Speaker, American Arbitration Association, Neutrals Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, October 15-16, 2004
- Speaker, “Risk Interpretation Issues In Construction Arbitration,“ American Arbitration Association, Neutrals Conference, San Antonio, Texas, March 5-6, 2004
- Speaker, “Construction Arbitration,” American Arbitration Association, National Forum on Conflict Resolution in the Construction Industry Conference, Chicago, Illinois, November 13-14, 2003
- Speaker, “Mediating the Complex Multi-Party Construction Dispute,“ American Arbitration Association, 200.
- Speaker, Fidelity Bond Program, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 14-15, 1996
- Speaker and Moderator, “Mediation of the Construction Case,” The Associated General Contractors of America, Del Lago Resort, Montgomery, Texas, July 31-August 4, 1996
- Speaker and Moderator, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Sandestin Beach Hilton, Destin, Florida, July 17-19, 1996
- Speaker, “Bonding and Surety: Underwriting and Claims Problems in the 90’s – The Miller Act,” CFMA Construction Financial Management Association, New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7-10, 1995
- Speaker, “Update on Louisiana Construction and Surety Law,” Louisiana Association of General Contractors, Inc., Perdido Beach Resort, July 7, 1994
- Speaker, Law of Suretyship, American Bar Association, Tort Insurance Practice Section, New York, New York, May 1993
- Co-author “The Rights And Obligations of The Construction Surety Under Standard Form Arbitration Clauses,” Defense Research Institute Annual Fidelity & Surety Meeting, May 10, 1991
- Co-author, “Liability Of Sureties Under CERCLA And RCRA,” Defense Research Institute Annual Fidelity & Surety Meeting, May 10, 1991
- Speaker, “Construction Litigation in Louisiana – Theories of Recovery”, Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel, February 16—17, 1990
Professional Recognition
- The Pro Bono Project, Distinguished Donor Award, 2022
- Friend of Pro Bono, Louisiana State Bar Association, 2019
- Distinguished Attorney, Louisiana Bar Foundation, 2018
- Leader in Law, CityBusiness, 2017
- America’s Top 100 Attorneys® Lifetime Achievement Member
- Best Lawyers in America
- 2024 Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law and Litigation – Construction
- 2023 Lawyer of the Year, Mediation
- 2022 Lawyer of the Year, Arbitration
- 2021 Lawyer of the Year, Litigation Construction
- 2020 Lawyer of the Year, Construction
- 2019 Lawyer of the Year, Arbitration and Mediation
- 2018 Lawyer of the Year, Arbitration
- 2016 Lawyer of the Year, Arbitration
- 2015 Lawyer of the Year, Mediation
- 2014 Lawyer of the Year, Arbitration
- 2013 Lawyer of the Year, Mediation
- 2012 Lawyer of the Year, Construction Litigation
- Martin J. Andrews Lifetime Achievement Award in Fidelity and Surety Law
- Super Lawyers
- Louisiana Super Lawyer, 2009—Present
- New Orleans Super Lawyer, 2013—2020
- Top 10 Lawyer, 2010—2016
- New Orleans Magazine “Best Lawyer in New Orleans,” Alternative Dispute Resolution and Construction Law, 2005—2009, 2016
- New Orleans Magazine “Top Lawyers List,” Alternative Dispute Resolution, 2020-2024
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Construction Law