Arceneaux, M. Thomas

Bruce was a founding partner of Rilee, Cantor, Arkema , which merged with the professional liability defense and employment/discrimination law sections of Browder & Russell in 1991 to create Russell, Cantor, Arkema (now called Cantor Arkema ). Bruce's practice is focused on commercial litigation, with an emphasis on construction-related litigation. He has successfully handled jury trials, bench trials, and arbitration hearings in federal and state courts in Virginia and the surrounding states.

Since 1979 Bruce has been a lecturer for Virginia's Department of Housing and Community Development and is currently on the faculty at the Virginia Code Academy, which trains and certifies building code officials and fire marshals. Bruce has authored training manuals and other publications used by the building officials in Virginia. In addition, he has served as a panelist for seminars conduced by the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc. (BOCA).

Bruce has helped in the formation of, and has serves as counsel to, several statewide and local building trade associations. He is also general counsel to and a member of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Petroleum Jobbers Association, for which he has litigated numerous cases and handled many disputes typically associated with the petroleum industry.

Bruce received his Juris Doctor at the University of Richmond in 1979 and was admitted to the Virginia State Bar the same year. He began his career as a legislative aide to the Chairman of an Administrative Law Hearing Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia. He has also served on the staff of the Virginia Housing Study Commission. He is a member of the Richmond Bar and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Associations, the Virginia State Bar, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. His undergraduate degree, from Randolph-Macon College, is in political science.

Since 1991, Bruce has been active in the Make-A-Wish Foundation for Richmond and western Virginia; he has also served as the foundation's president. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bruce has made his home in Richmond since 1973.