R Bruce Reynolds

Practice Areas

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Arbitration

Construction and Infrastructure Law

Insurance

Public Policy

Surety

Career

Bruce Reynolds has earned a stellar reputation in the construction industry for settling disputes and drafting and negotiating contracts. Who’s Who Legal has recognized him as “one of the foremost construction practitioners in the world,” while his clients have praised him for his legal skills, integrity and clarity of insight.

Bruce is Co-Managing Partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s International Construction Projects Group. He specializes in the resolution of construction and insurance claims, liens, surety bond claims, product liability issues, and architects’ and engineers’ errors and omissions issues. He advises clients on construction projects in Canada, the United States and overseas. In addition to his practice, he also acts as a mediator, arbitrator and facilitator helping to resolve construction industry disputes.

Together with his colleague Sharon Vogel, he played a significant role in helping the Ontario government modernize the province’s construction law and helped to shape the Construction Act. Among the changes to the legislation are the creation of a prompt payment regime and the introduction of a mandatory interim binding dispute resolution system. He was also retained as Counsel by the federal government of Canada to assist in the introduction of new legislation on prompt payment and adjudication, co-authoring the independent expert report Building a Federal Framework for Prompt Payment and Adjudication.

He has been certified as a specialist in construction law by the Law Society of Upper Canada. He is a Fellow of both the Canadian and American Colleges of Construction Lawyers, and past Co-Chair of the International Construction Projects Committee of the International Bar Association.

Professional Memberships

Immediate Past President, International Academy of Construction Lawyers.

Past Co-chair, International Construction Projects Committee, International Bar Association.

Past Governor, American College of Construction Lawyers.

Co-chair, International Committee, American College of Construction Lawyers.

Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Founding Governor and Past President, Canadian College of Construction Lawyers.

Member, Canadian Bar Association, Construction Law Section.

Member, Ontario Bar Association, Construction & Infrastructure Law Section.

Associate Member, American Bar Association, Torts and Insurance Section, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee (FSLC); Vice-chair, FSLC (1998-2001); Member, Forum on the Construction Industry.

Member, Canadian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Arbitration Committee.

Certified Specialist in Construction Law, Law Society of Ontario.

Member, International Council for Commercial Arbitration.

Publications

Legal Textbooks

-Co-author, A Guide to Canadian Construction Insurance Law, 2nd Edition, Thomson Reuters, (with Sharon Vogel)

-Co-author, Construction Builders’ and Mechanics’ Liens in Canada, 8th Edition, Thomson Reuters

-Co-author, Scott and Reynolds on Surety Bonds (two volumes, supplemented twice annually), Carswell, (with K.W. Scott, KC)

Additional Publications

-Co-author, “Caledon (Town of) v. 2220742 Ontario Ltd: Adjudicating Multiple Improvements under Ontario’s Construction Act,” September, 2024

-Co-author, “Walsh Construction v. Toronto Transit Commission: Guidance and Questions on Complex Delay and Disruption Claims, Expert Witnesses, and Flow-Through Claims,” June, 2024

-Co-author, “Coinbase Inc. v. Suski: Arbitrability in the Context of Conflicting Agreements – Who Decides?,” June, 2024

-Co-author, “Earthco v Pine Valley: Contractual and Statutory Interpretation Collide in the Sale of Goods,” June, 2024

-Co-author, “Country Comparative Guides – Canada – Construction,” Legal 500/Legalease, May, 2024

-Co-author, “Campbell v. Toronto Standard Condominium Corporate No. 2600: Constructive Fraud is Not Fraud for the Purpose of Set-Aside Applications,” April, 2024

-Co-author, “IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration: Recent Amendments,” April, 2024

-Co-author, “Arbitration – Canada,” Lexology Panoramic, March, 2024

-Co-author, “Proposed National Building Code Changes for Encapsulated Mass Timber Buildings,” March, 2024

-Co-author, “CVV v CWB: The Nature of Set-Aside Applications and Adequacy of the Tribunal’s Reasons,” March, 2024

-Co-author, “CZT v CZU: Arguments not Pleaded and Ex Parte Communications in Arbitration,” February, 2024

Featured, “Judicial Vacancies Holding Up Construction Litigation: Litigators,” Law Times, February, 2024

-Co-author, “Schickedanz v. Wagema Holdings: The Costs of Arbitral Costs Awards,” February, 2024

-Co-author, “Ontario Securities Commission v Go-To Developments: The Limits of Solicitor-Client Privilege in a Receivership,” January, 2024

-Co-author, “The FIDIC Practice Note on Dispute Boards – Lessons for Canada,” January, 2024

-Co-author, “Davis v. Amazon: A High Threshold for Staying Litigation, A Low Threshold for Precluding Class Arbitration,” December, 2023

-Co-author, “Update: Federal Prompt Payment Legislation Comes Into Force,” December, 2023

-Co-author, “Emek Insaat Sti Ltd v European Union and the Fourth Arbitrator: The Limits of the Arbitral Secretary’s Role,” December, 2023

-Co-author, “FamilyMart China Holding Co Ltd v Ting Chuan (Cayman Islands) Holding Corporation: Dividing Disputes Between Arbitration and Court,” November, 2023

-Co-author, “Country Comparative Guides – Canada – International Arbitration,” The Legal 500/Legalease, November, 2023

-Co-author, “The Implications of Repeat Arbitral Appointments: Aroma Franchise Company v Aroma Espresso,” The Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration, Volume 4, Issue 1, October, 2023

-Co-author, “Song Lihua v Lee Chee Hon: The Right to be Heard Requires an Arbitrator’s Full Attention (Don’t Drive While Arbitrating),” October, 2023

-Co-author, “Construction Arbitration in Canada,” The Guide to Construction Arbitration, Global Arbitration Review, October, 2023

-Co-author, “C v D: Compliance with Pre-Arbitration Conditions — A Question of Admissibility Rather than Jurisdiction,” October, 2023

-Co-author, “Grupo Unidos Por El del Canal, S.A. et al v. Autoridad del Canal de Panama: Disclosure Obligations and Partiality in Arbitration Revisited,” September, 2023

-Co-author, “Sky Power v IrAero: Remote Arbitration Hearings May Create Difficulties for the Parties, But are Unlikely to Cause Prejudice,” September, 2023

-Co-author, “Mattamy (Downsview) Limited v. KSV Restructuring Inc. (Urbancorp): Procedural Fairness in Arbitral Proceedings,” July, 2023

-Co-author, “CZT v CZU: Deliberative Secrecy in Arbitration,” July, 2023

-Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through Construction: Canada,” Lexology, June, 2023

-Co-author, “The Estate of Arbabbahrami v. MSH International (Canada) Ltd.: Implications for “War” and “Military or Usurped Power” Insurance Exclusions and Force Majeure Clauses,” May, 2023

-Featured, “Construction disputes trends: design-build P3 risk, dispute boards, settlement disclosure,” Lexpert Special Edition: Infrastructure, May, 2023

- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through Construction: Canada,” Lexology, June, 2022

- Co-author, “Ontario Decision Suggests Priority of Lien Claimants Over Building Mortgages Limited to Statutory Holdback Amount,” May, 2022

- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through – Arbitration,” Lexology, February, 2022

- Featured, “Opening a Toronto office just part of Singleton Urquhart Reynolds Vogel’s pathway to growth,” Canadian Lawyer Magazine, February, 2022

- Co-author, “Construction Canada Comparative Guide Chapter,” Mondaq, January, 2022

- Co-author, “Getting the Deal Through – Arbitration,” Lexology, July, 2021

- Co-author, “Construction Law (Canada) Chapter,” Chambers Global Construction Law Guide, 2021-2024

- Co-author, “Carillion, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and Construction Lien Act Trusts: Confusion (again) regarding certainty of subject matter and commingling of funds,” May, 2021

Personal

Recognized in the Hall of Fame as a top lawyer in Canadian construction by The Legal 500.

Recognized in Who’s Who Legal – Construction Law, Arbitration, Mediation.

Recognized in Who’s Who Legal global analysis of Construction Law.

Recognized as a leading lawyer in the Lexpert® Special Edition on Litigation.

Recognized as Construction Lawyer of the Year (Toronto) by Best Lawyers Canada®.

Ranked in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Construction Law, Insurance Law, and International Arbitration by Best Lawyers Canada®.

Recognized twice as Construction Lawyer of the Year by Benchmark Canada.

Recognized in Benchmark Canada — The Definitive Guide to Canada’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys as a “Local Litigation Star: Ontario” and a “Litigation Star: Construction”.

Named as most highly regarded Construction Lawyer in Canada by Who’s Who Legal.

Recognized in Who’s Who Legal as one of North America’s Best Construction Law Global Thought Leaders.

Recognized in Chambers Canada — Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business (Construction) as a Band 1 practitioner in the area of Construction Law; and for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration.

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer in Construction and Infrastructure in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Most frequently recommended).

Recognized as a leading Infrastructure lawyer in the Lexpert® Globe and Mail Report on Business Special Edition on Infrastructure and Litigation.

Recognized as a Leading Lawyer for Arbitration and Energy Law in the Canadian Legal Lexpert® Globe and Mail Special Editions.

Recognized as a Leading Litigator in The Globe and Mail/Report on Business Special Litigation issue.

Recognized in The Lexpert®/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada (Construction Law).

Recognized in the Client Choice Awards in the area of Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Recognized as an Acritas Star.

Martindale-Hubbell AV Ranked.

Recognitions

Recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s 2023 Award of Excellence in Construction and Infrastructure Law.

Hall of Fame Award Winner, 2023 Benchmark Canada Awards Gala.

Exclusive Winner, 2022 Lexology Client Choice Construction Award, Canada.

Construction Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in Canada.

Toronto Construction Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers in Canada.

Award of Excellence, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Lexpert® Zenith Award (Change Agent in Law).

Jock Tindale Memorial Award, Ontario General Contractors Association.

Global Construction Lawyer of the Year (twice), Who’s Who Legal.

Construction Litigator of the Year (twice), Benchmark Canada.

Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada, Canadian Lawyer.

Donald P. Giffin, Sr. Construction Industry Achievement Award, Toronto Construction Association.

Recipient of a 2017 award from the Council of Ontario Construction Associations for outstanding contributions to the construction industry.