Bruce W. Ficken

Bruce W. Ficken, Board Chair

Bruce W. Ficken chairs Cozen O’Connor’s Construction Law group and is a recognized authority in representing clients in construction and commercial litigation, as well as managing risk in construction projects. As lead counsel he has successfully conducted more than 60 major trials in the United States and in international arbitrations. He has also helped numerous owners and developers with contract documentation, contract and project administration, and dispute avoidance and resolution. Bruce is an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and as a mediator he has successfully helped resolve major construction disputes.

Bruce is one of only a few construction litigators ever to be invited to be a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and most recently, he was named by Best Lawyers as the 2017 Philadelphia Construction “Lawyer of the Year.“ Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business ranks Bruce in Band 1 for construction law. Chambers reports clients saying he is “great in front of a jury,” and “as good as they get.”

For several years, Bruce has served as co-chairman of the Construction SuperConference, held annually as one of the leading conferences in his field. He frequently lectures at the invitation of various professional groups. He has presented at events sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Philadelphia Bar Association, Federal Publications, the Contract Specification Institute, the School of Engineering of the University of Wisconsin, the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the Practising Law Institute.

He is co-editor and co-author of Construction Litigation, (Editions I and II) published by the Practising Law Institute, and Hazardous Waste Disposal and Underground Construction Law, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. He is a contributing author for the Construction Law Handbook (Aspen Publications) and Moisture Control in Buildings (ASTM Publications).

Bruce received his bachelor's degree from Susquehanna University and earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Dickinson School of Law. While in law school, he was the managing editor of Dickinson Law Review.