BRUCE N. SHIBLES, Esq.

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The early part of Bruce’s Colorado legal career was spent litigating adversary proceedings in Bankruptcy Courts throughout the United States. Bruce then settled into a successful insurance defense civil litigation practice in 2004, initially at the panel counsel defense firm of Markusson, Green, and Jarvis, before moving to the branch litigation office of Farmers Insurance Exchange (most recently the Law Office of Robert B. Hunter) before his recent retirement from an active trial and litigation practice.

During his trial practice, Bruce retained and cross-examined expert witnesses in multiple medical specialties, as well as psychology and neuropsychology, engineering, forensic accounting, as well as other expert disciplines. In that role, he has seen how juries react to those experts for both parties.

During his career as a trial attorney, Bruce tried hundreds of bench and jury trials to verdict, as well as participated in multi-party construction defect arbitrations, and argued appellate cases in both Maine and Colorado, which involved varied legal issues, disputes, areas of law, and facts. These cases always resulted in outcomes that one or more of the parties had not hoped to achieve. It is this last point that leads Bruce to the next step in his legal career.

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MEDIATION FOCUS

Bruce has mediated hundreds of disputes over the years to resolution. He knows that resolving litigation disputes is ultimately in the best interest of all parties. He has extensive experience developing and analyzing a case’s value, working with adjustors and litigants in a case, and, where necessary, pointing out where value may need to be adjusted; ultimately resulting in resolution of a case to the benefit of his client. Bruce also believes that focused binding arbitration in certain matters can result in more efficient resolution of disputes than may be possible in the civil trial litigation arena.

Bruce firmly believes that a mediator neutral must be willing to carefully and thoroughly review all sides of a dispute, delve into the legal issues as necessary, point out the strong and weak points of each side’s case, definitely not just be a person taking $ numbers back and forth between rooms, and perhaps, most importantly, listen carefully and sincerely while the parties explain their positions.  It is through this process that mediation can proceed to a resolution with both sides reaching an outcome that results in finality, even if not exactly what they had hoped to accomplish in the litigation, and an end to the uncertainty, risk, and continued expense of taking the matter to trial. Bruce has the experience, expertise, patience, understanding, knowledge, and negotiating talents to assist you and your clients in resolving your disputes.

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FOCUS AREAS

• Personal injury
• Premises Liability
• Product Liability
• Wrongful Death
• UIM / UM
• Construction Defect
• Commercial Contract Disputes
• HOA Dispute / Covenant Dispute
• Subrogation
• Insurance bad faith

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OTHER RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Before heading to law school, and during law school, Bruce used his undergraduate and graduate degrees in the sciences working jobs in environmental consulting and other disciplines conducting research on sea level rise along the South Carolina coast, managing beach restoration projects in that area of the US coast, assisting with short courses on South Carolina barrier beach geomorphology for petroleum geologists and geophysicists, analyzing and testing for the impact of the oil exploration and extraction industry on the aquatic and upland environment of the Niger Delta and other parts of Nigeria for the Nigerian government, and conducting research on sustaining cross boundary fisheries resources under UN Law of the Sea Treaties. In fact, this background in the sciences was used by Bruce for the benefit of his clients over the years in many of Bruce’s cases.

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PROFESSIONAL EDUATION

• University of Maine School of Law – Juris Doctorate 1987
• Semester Study at Dalhousie Law School, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Spring 1986
• Florida Institute of Technology – Master of Science 1982, Coastal Zone Management
• Bowdoin College – Bachelor of Arts 1980, Biology/Environmental Studies

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BAR ADMISSIONS

• State of Maine – 1987
• United States District Court, District of Maine – 1990
• State of Connecticut – 1996
• United States District Court, District of Connecticut – 1997
• Mohegan Gaming Disputes Court – 1997
• State of Colorado – 2001
• United States District Court, District of Colorado – 2001
• Pro Hac Vice admissions in multiple jurisdictions, including California

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REPORTED CASES

• Department of Human Services v. Look, 606 A.2d 203 (Me. 1992); In re Jeffrey E., 557 2d 954 (Me. 1989); In re Howard P., 562 A.2d 1224 (Me. 1989)

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PRESENTATIONS, PAPERS AND REPORTS

• Fall 1994, “Implications of an international legal standard for transboundary management of Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank fishery resources, 1 Ocean and Coastal Law Journal 1, University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine
• December 1991, Presenter, Jurisdiction of Tribal Courts in Maine: A Regional Conference, “Indian Child Welfare Act,” Penobscot Nation Judicial System, Indian Island, Maine (tribal/state agreements, confidentiality)
• February 1986, “Implications of an international legal standard for transboundary management of Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank fishery resources,” Marine Law Institute Working Publication, Marine Law Institute, University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine
• September 1985, “Implications of an international legal standard for transboundary management of Gulf of Maine – George Bank fishery resources,” V Territorial Sea 3 at 1-12, A publication of the Marine Law Institute, University of Maine School of Law, Portland, Maine
• Contributing author, October and December 1984, Environmental baseline studies for the establishment of control criteria and standards against petroleum-related pollution in Nigeria; progress reports 4 and 5, Submitted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Lagos, Nigeria
• (With Timothy W Kana and Mark Williams), July 1983, Shoreline changes at the northeast end of Isle of Palms, May 1982 through May 1983; final report (RPI/ R/83/7/28-19), Prepared for the Wild Dunes Beach and Racquet Club, Isle of Palms, South Carolina
• (With Timothy W. Kana and Mark L. Williams), June 1983, Survey of beach changes. (1981-1983) and recommendations for beach maintenance: final report (RPI/ R/83/6/17-15), Prepared for the City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• October 1982, “Interpretation as a management tool for coastal recreation,” 8th Ann. Mtg. Of the Coastal Society, Baltimore, Maryland
• Editor (with Maylo Murday and Jacqui Michel) and contributing author, April and July 1982, Environmental baseline studies for the establishment of control criteria and standards against petroleum-related pollution in Nigeria; preliminary survey report (RPI/ R/82-18) and progress report no. 2 (RPI/R/82-85). Submitted to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Lagos, Nigeria
• (With Maylo Murday), October 1981, “Boston Harbor Islands State Park: recreational opportunities in an urban waterfront,” Proc. 7th Ann. Mtg. Of the Coastal Society; Galveston, Texas

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COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Hampden (ME) Zoning Board of Appeals
• Stonington (CT) Zoning Board of Appeals
• Pawcatuck River (CT) Harbor Management Commission
• Pawcatuck Volunteer Fire Company 1
• High Ridge Homeowners Association (CT) Board of Directors (Sec. 1996 – 1998)
• Past Trustee, First United Methodist Church, Longmont, Colorado
• Larimer Humane Society Volunteer Foster Family, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Host Family for Colorado State University International Students (2003 – 2011)
• Catastrophic Injuries
• Host Family for American Field Service (AFS) German High School Student 2010/2011 School Year and continuing AFS Volunteer
• Member, Board of Directors (Vice President), Elms Community Association, Longmont, Colorado, November 2011 – 2015 and 2017 – 2018)
• Member, Community Advisory Committee, Fairway Villas, Denver, Colorado, March 2021 – Present
• Member (Appointed), Ebert Metropolitan District Board, Denver, Colorado, July 2021 (Appointed), August 2021 (Sworn In) – Present

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RATES

Call for specific rate information.

• No Hourly Rate Charged for Travel Within Colorado
• Willing to mediate statewide
• Travel fees and expenses for matters outside Colorado TBD on case-by-case basis