Bruce is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® since 2009, including being named the 2026 "Lawyer of the Year" in Memphis. He has also been selected to Mid-South Super Lawyers since 2012, was featured on its cover in 2015, and has maintained an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell since 2006. He has consistently been named in Memphis's Power 100 by the Memphis Business Journal. A seasoned trial lawyer, Bruce has tried more than 25 high-profile jury cases involving substantial financial exposure, intense public scrutiny, and complex legal issues. He has successfully defended favorable judgments through appeal, including cases affirmed by the Tennessee Supreme Court, Mississippi Supreme Court, and Arkansas Supreme Court.
An accomplished trial attorney and complex commercial litigator, Bruce represents corporations, businesses, health care providers, insurers, and governmental entities in litigation throughout the United States. His practice encompasses a broad range of high-stakes disputes, including class actions, multidistrict and multiplaintiff litigation, arbitrations, business torts, contract disputes, restrictive covenant and non-compete litigation, and other complex commercial matters. He has served as lead trial counsel in numerous jury and bench trials in state and federal courts.
Bruce has also successfully argued appeals before the Tennessee Court of Appeals, the Arkansas Court of Appeals, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Eighth Circuits, and the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. His appellate experience complements an extensive trial practice that includes securing favorable outcomes in highly contested cases and preserving those victories through the appellate process.
Bruce has extensive experience representing hospitals, health care systems, and health care providers in medical malpractice litigation and other health care-related disputes. He also represents national insurers in coverage and bad-faith litigation and has successfully defended retailers and other businesses in class action proceedings.
In addition, Bruce maintains a substantial governmental defense practice. He regularly represents governmental entities and public officials in constitutional and civil rights litigation, including claims arising under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, First Amendment challenges, and other federal and state constitutional claims. He also advises governmental clients on regulatory compliance, internal investigations, consent decree obligations, enforcement matters, and related litigation.
From January 2016 through December 2019, Bruce served as Chief Legal Officer for the City of Memphis while continuing his practice as a shareholder at Baker Donelson. In that role, he provided legal and strategic counsel on many of the City's most significant and highly scrutinized matters, including:
- government contracting, procurement, and Minority and Women Business Enterprise (MWBE) compliance issues;
- disaster recovery contracting and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General investigations, including FEMA deobligation appeals;
- the relocation of Confederate monuments;
- internal investigations; and
- other high-profile matters involving significant legal, political, and public policy considerations.
Throughout his career, Bruce has earned a reputation for successfully managing complex, high-exposure litigation and public-facing disputes. Clients rely on his courtroom experience, strategic judgment, and practical problem-solving skills to guide them through their most challenging matters, from pre-suit investigations through trial and appeal.
Among his most notable representations, Bruce devised the legal strategy and served as lead counsel in landmark litigation arising from the transfer of a public park and the relocation of historic Confederate monuments. He successfully defended the transaction against claims alleging fraud and violations of Tennessee law, securing favorable rulings at both the trial and appellate levels. The litigation resulted in Memphis becoming the first municipality to lawfully relocate Confederate monuments through the judicial process without significant civil unrest, property damage, or mass arrests. The matter attracted national attention and required the successful navigation of complex constitutional, governmental, political, and public policy issues under intense public scrutiny.
His combination of courtroom experience, appellate advocacy, governmental leadership, and strategic problem-solving enables him to deliver effective results in some of the most complex and consequential matters faced by businesses, health care providers, insurers, and governmental entities.