Bruce A. Montoya

Bruce Montoya has been practicing and excelling as a trial attorney for 40 years. Focusing on high exposure, personal injury, commercial and class-action cases, Bruce joined Messner Reeves in 2005 and has spearheaded the growth and success of the Firm’s award-winning litigation practice.  He has mentored countless attorneys in Colorado and beyond.

A voracious advocate of the jury trial system, Bruce is a member of many prestigious organizations where admission is limited to the most elite trial lawyers invited by their peers for inclusion.  Bruce was inducted into the International Society of Barristers (ISOB) in 2002 and has been active in this organization for over twenty years.  A member of American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 2006, Bruce served as President of the Colorado Chapter in 2017.  Most recently, in 2022, Bruce was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL).  IATL limits its membership to only 500 fellows from the U.S. and admissions from other countries worldwide at any one time.  Members of IATL must engage in civil practice, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.  Bruce embodies the qualities embraced by IATL: cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the administration of justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy.

Often recognized for his trial prowess, Bruce is also committed to service to the community. He has a heart for children and the underserved, and his dedication to not only identifying problems but creating solutions that change the dialogue, benefiting countless individuals. He has served on numerous boards, including serving for many years on the Board of Trustees for Mount Saint Vincent’s Children’s Home.  Bruce volunteered with the ABA’s Post-Conviction Death Penalty Project, resulting in the commutation of a death sentence of a Texas inmate.  He also co-founded the Colorado Hate Crimes Task Force which has become a national model for teaching middle and high school students through participation in a mock trial based on a fictional case arising from a violation of Colorado’s Hate/Bias-Motivated Crimes Statute. At the conclusion of the trial, small discussion groups of students act as jurors to discuss the issues presented and, with the assistance of an adult facilitator, reach a verdict. The students become very engaged in discussing diversity in their community, and learn the value of preventing the spread of racial slurs and hateful actions.

Bruce was one of the first signatories to the Colorado Pledge to Diversity 1L Summer Program, providing diverse Colorado Law and Denver Law students with opportunities to work in paid 1L summer associate positions.   He has been at the forefront of Messner Reeves’ diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including membership and involvement in the Colorado Hispanic Bar Association, University of Denver Robert B. Yegge Diversity Scholarship Program, Sam Cary Bar Association, Colorado Women’s Bar Association, LGBT Bar Association,  and Center for Legal Inclusiveness, amongst many other local, state and national associations.

Bruce is recognized on a perennial basis by many outstanding publications and has been inducted into invitation-only societies, including:

Denver’s Top Lawyers: 2015-2023

America’s Most Honored Lawyers: 2014-2023

Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers: 2006-2023 (Business Litigation, Professional Liability, General Litigation)

Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers Top 100: 2023

US News & World Report Best Lawyers: 2006-2023 (Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury Litigation)

Inducted, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC): 1997

Inducted, International Society of Barristers (ISOB): 2002

Inducted, American Board of Trial Advocacy (ABOTA): 2005

Inducted, International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL): 2022

Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated: 1990-2023