Member

Change your cover photo
Upload
John Bulman
Change your cover photo
This user account status is Approved

This user has not added any information to their profile yet.

IMI Certified Mediator
United States
English
AAA - American Arbitration Association
Mediation Profile

Mr. Bulman has twenty-five years experience in construction and commercial trial and arbitration matters in the United States. He has represented both private and public clients in jury and non-jury trials and in arbitration and mediation proceedings in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Ohio and other states. Mr. Bulman has argued cases before the Rhode Island Supreme Court and the First and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Bulman earned his B.A. degree from Hobart College in 1980, Baccalaureate Essay Distinction; J.D., cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1984 (Law and Policy in International Business, Editor). Mr. Bulman is also a member of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island bars.

Mr. Bulman’s professional associations include the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section, the ABA’s Forum on Construction Law, and the American Arbitration Association (its Construction and Commercial Panels as well as formerly on its Board of Directors and Executive Committee). The American Arbitration Association named Mr. Bulman to its Construction Arbitration Mega Project Panel in recognition of his capabilities and experience. The American College of Construction Lawyers elected him a Fellow in 2006. Mr. Bulman is well-respected in the broader legal community as well and was named one of the “Top 10” lawyers in Rhode Island for several years.

Mr. Bulman has served as a neutral arbitrator and mediator since 1991. During the last five years he has served as mediator for approximately 100 matters, principally construction disputes. The majority were 3-6 party disputes typically being owner/architect/general contractor or construction manager, and some involving larger trade contractors. Many matters included state and municipal parties, including Departments of Transportation and Public Works and local or regional agencies.

While each mediation situation is different and hard and fast rules should never hold, my initial approach is facilitative but I certainly employ transformative and evaluative techniques when called for.

As a mediator and arbitrator, Mr. Bulman has analyzed and resolved numerous claims. He has either facilitated settlements as a mediator or issued awards as an arbitrator on many types of disputes. The matters have included: franchise and tax assessment disputes, trust matters, corporate disputes, land development disputes, disputes over installation of sewer and water pipelines, including related geo-technical engineering issues; disputes over the rehabilitation of a hydroelectric turbine facility, including in-depth vibration and metallurgy analyses; claims of negligent design of curtain walls on a Vermont college dormitory and an ocean front condominium complex; faulty design and construction of residences in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts; disputes over the renovation of mill buildings into commercial or residential space (throughout New England); numerous heavy construction road and bridge disputes, disputes relating to HVAC design in commercial and dormitory construction projects; and, disputes over the structural stability of a power plant “cover.”

US $550.00 per hour for study and mediation session time.

American College of Construction Lawyers
- Elected Fellow 2006
- Board of Governors 2013-2016
- Elected Secretary 2019-2021
- President-elect 2021-2022
- President 2022-2023
- Immediate Past President 2023-2024

College of Commercial Arbitrators
- Elected Fellow 2015

American Arbitration Association -
- National Board of Directors 2002-2014
- Outstanding Director Award for 2007
- Member, Executive Committee to Board of Directors 2010-2014
- Chair, Practice Committee 2010-2014
- Member, Budget and Finance Committee 2014-2020
- National Mediation Panel
- Master Mediator Panel
- Construction Mega Project Panel
- National Commercial and Construction Arbitration Panels

American Bar Association
- Member, Forum Committee on the Construction Industry
- Member, Litigation Section

National Construction Dispute Resolution Committee
- Chair, Rules Subcommittee
- Member, Executive Committee

International Bar Association
- VIAC CDRC Vienna Mediation & Negotiation Competition - Expert Assessor, 2016-2019 and 2023

U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
- ADR Panel 2017

Shelly L. Ewald, sewald@watttieder.com, (703) 749-1000
Stanley A. Martin, stan.martin@commonsenseconst.com, (617) 227-0141
Thomas W. Heald, twh@healdandleboeuf.com, (401) 421-1500
Gerald J. Petros, gpetros@haslaw.com, (401) 274-2000
Dennis C. Cavanaugh, dcavanaugh@rc.com, (860) 275-8211

Training and Education

Faculty, Construction SuperConference, “What Counsel and Witnesses Do That Drive Arbitrators Nuts!”, 2019; Faculty, Construction SuperConference, “How Arbitrators Evaluate the Testimony of Schedule and Damage Experts”, 2018; Faculty, Construction SuperConference, “Getting Off on the Right Foot: How Effective Preliminary Hearings Ensure Efficiency and Economy”, 2017; Faculty, AAA Construction Conference, “How Do We Get the War Stories ...”, 2017; Mediator, United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, Litigation Academy Mediation Skills Program, 2107; Faculty, Construction SuperConference, Modern Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas at Arbitration, 2016; Moderator, AAA Construction Conference, Ahead of Schedule and Under Budget, 2016; Faculty, Construction SuperConference, The New AAA Construction Industry Rules, 2015; Faculty, ABA Forum on Construction Law 2015 Fall Meeting, What’s the Appeal of Arbitration? Overturning Arbitration Awards and the New Appellate Rules of Arbitration, 2015; Faculty, ABA Section of Litigation Annual Conference, A Litigator’s Guide to Arbitration: Best Practices to Maximize the Benefits of Your Next Arbitration, 2015; Faculty, Point-Counterpoint: Litigation or Arbitration, MSU and Montana State Bar (Bozeman), 2014; Faculty, AAA Mediation Week, Stories Mediators Tell: The Bad (and Ugly), 2014; Faculty, AAA Arbitrator Continuing Education (ACE), Maximizing Efficiency & Economy in Arbitration: Challenges at the Preliminary Hearing, 2013; Faculty, AAA Arbitrator Continuing Education (ACE), Managing the Arbitration Process for Efficiency & Economy Following the Preliminary Hearing, 2013; Faculty, AAA Construction Conference, Optimizing Your Client’s Construction Arbitration Hearing, 2012; Faculty, Fourth International Construction Law Conference, Comparative Evolution of Arbitration in the United States and Australia (Melbourne), 2012; Panelist, 26th Annual Construction Superconference, Building the Construction Arbitration Process to Optimize its Advantages (San Francisco), 2011; Faculty, 7th Annual Construction Law Institute, Practical and Procedural Considerations in Mediation, Arbitration, and Litigation (Including Getting the Right People to the Party), MSU and Montana State Bar (Bozeman), 2011; Faculty, Chairing an Arbitration Panel, AAA (Boston), 2010; Faculty, Not on My Watch: How to Properly Manage a Construction Arbitration Case, Annual Board Meeting, AAA (Orlando), 2010; Faculty, Chairing an Arbitration Panel, AAA (Providence), 2010; Faculty, Maximizing ADR Advocacy for Today’s Economy, 2009; Faculty, Arbitration Roadmap, 2008; Annual Board Meeting, AAA Arbitrator Update, 2008; Annual Board Meeting, AAA Arbitrator Update, 2007; Faculty, Chairing an Arbitration Panel: Managing Procedures, Process and Dynamics, 2005; Faculty, Arbitration Best Practices Guide, 2005; AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards, 2005; Faculty, AAA/NCDRC, ADR Issues – Best Practices from the Practitioners, 2004; Faculty, AAA Arbitrator Roundtable: Revised Commercial Arbitrator Code of Ethics: What Does it Mean for You?, 2004; AAA Neutrals Conference, 2003; AAA Arbitrator Update, 2003; AAA Construction Arbitrator II Training, 2002; AAA Arbitrator Update, 2001; JAMS/Endispute, 40 Hour Mediation Training, 2000; AAA Construction Industry Arbitrator Training, 2000; AAA Complex Case Management for the Construction Neutral, 1996.

Roger Williams University - Adjunct Professor, School of Justice Studies, Construction Law, 2006-2007; Vice Chair, Construction Management Professional Advisory Board, 2018-2020.

Publications

Author, “A View from the Middle of the Table – A Mediator’s Practical Observations and Recommendations,” ABA Forum on Construction Law, Under Construction, Volume 19, No. 3 (Spring 2018); Co-author, "What's the Appeal of Arbitration? Overturning Arbitration Awards and the New Appellate Rules of Arbitration," ABA Forum on Construction Law 2015 Fall Meeting (2015);Co-Author, “A Tale of Two Lawyers: How Arbitrators and Advocates Can Avoid the Dangerous Convergence of Arbitration and Litigation,” 14 Cardozo J. of Conflict Resolution 683 (2013); Co-author, "Managing Exchanges of Electronically Stored Information (ESI) in Construction Arbitration,"Dispute Resolution Journal, (August/October 2012); Co-Author, "Harnessing Your Client's Wind Power Rights," Rhode Island Bar Journal, Vol. 59, No. 3 (November/December 2010); Co-Author, "The Uniform Commercial Code and Construction Law: The Possible Applicability of Article 2," Construct!, ABA Section of Litigation, Construction Litigation Committee, Vol 19 No.2 (Summer/Fall 2010); Co-Author, “Taking on Too Much Water”, ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, (October 2007); Contributing Author, “Understanding Construction Delivery Methods in Massachusetts,” Lorman Education Services, (October 2003); Contributing Author, “Public Construction Law Source Book,” Commerce Clearing House, (2002); Co-Author, “Implied Obligations of Owners Relating to Scheduling,” The Construction Lawyer, vol. 21, no. 3, Summer 2001; Co-Author, “Horns of a Dilemma: Too Much Involvement in Worksite Safety Can Backfire on Design Professionals,” The Construction Lawyer, vol. 21, no.2, Spring 2001; Contributing Author, “Fifty State Monograph on the Enforceability of ‘No Damages for Delay Clauses’,” American Bar Association, (1998); Contributing Author, “State By State Survey of the Economic Loss Doctrine,” American Bar Association (1998); Contributing Author, “State By State Survey of Statutes of Repose,”American Bar Association (1994).

Compliance

IMI Code of Professional Conduct

IMI Professional Conduct Assessment Process

Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society, Inc. (ALAS)
Coverage: $40,000,000

Contact
John Bulman
Pierce Atwood LLP
401-588-5166
United States
Diversity data (optional - not publicly visible)
Prefer not to say

Shopping Basket
Scroll to Top