A Bay Area native, Bruce graduated from Hastings College of the Law in 1984. Over the next seven years he practiced as a trial attorney in San Francisco and Orange County, specializing in multi-party construction defect and mechanic's lien litigation, and professional liability defense.
Between 1992 and 1996, Bruce and his family lived on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. On Saipan, Bruce served as General Counsel to the government owned utility corporation, which provided power, water, sewer and wastewater treatment services on the Commonwealth's three populated islands. As General Counsel, he worked with the Executive Director and Comptroller on restructuring the corporation's forty million yen debt, advised the Board of Directors and the corporation's various departments, and represented the corporation in court and before the Legislature and administrative agencies.
Bruce is one of only 23 attorneys in the state of California to have received certification by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization, as a Certified Specialist in Franchise and Distribution Law. Since joining Pete Singler in 1998, Bruce has divided his practice between transactions and litigation. He advises and represents clients regarding every aspect of their business lives: from evaluating franchise agreements to negotiating and drafting purchase and sale contracts and leases; he has defended numerous business and property owners against claims brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act; and he represents clients, including franchisees and franchisee organizations, in negotiations, litigation and arbitration.
Bruce is licensed to practice in California and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and admitted to practice before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, and all the Federal District Courts in California and the CNMI, as well as the Western District of Michigan and the Northern District of Illinois. He has served as a member of the California State Bar Association's Franchise Law Committee since 2006.
At the 2009 California State Bar convention Bruce was one of three members of the speakers panel on the topic "How Franchisors and Franchisees Plan for and Survive Bankruptcies." His article "States' Definitions of Franchise Relationship Not Uniform" was published as half of the "point-counterpoint" What is a Franchise? in the Summer 2006 edition of the American Bar Association's FRANCHISE LAW JOURNAL
You may contact Bruce via e-mail at bjn@singler-law.com...or call him at (707) 823-8719.
