In Memorium: Hugh Reynolds Jr.

• Author: By Terrance L. Brookie
• Pages: 40-40

THE CONSTRUCTION LAWYER40 Volume 42 Issue 2 2022

OBITUARY

In Memorium: Hugh Reynolds Jr.

By Terrance L. Brookie

On December 22, 2021, Hugh

Reynolds Jr. passed away at the

age of 92. Hugh was an extraor-

dinary person, a brilliant lawyer,

a great leader both at Locke

Reynolds and in national orga-

nizations, a Napoleonic and

Civil War historian, a veteran,

a mentor, a devout Catholic, a

family man, and the smartest

person I have ever known. His death is mourned by all

lucky enough to have known him.

Hugh was a versatile, talented, and passionate litigator,

handling cases of remarkable complexity, breadth, and

scope. He specialized in construction and surety law, a

specialty in which he was a nationally recognized expert.

His incisive and succinct arguments often concluded with

encouragement to the court to rule in his client’s favor

“for reasons too obvious to require discussion.” Judges

usually did.

His innumerable awards, appointments, and honors

include the following: annual recognition in Best Lawyers

in America; admission to both the American College of

Trial Lawyers and the American College of Construction

Lawyers; appointment as the 7th Circuit representative to

the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on

the Federal Judiciary; election to the House of Delegates

of the ABA, chair of the ABA’s Torts and Insurance Prac-

tice Section (TIPS), president and chair of the Federation

of Insurance and Corporate Counsel, and chair of both

the ABA’s Forum on Construction Law and Fidelity and

Surety Law Committee; one of the drafters of the Revi-

sion of the Restatement of Law of Suretyship for the

American Law Institute; and recipient of the Corner-

stone Award for Lifetime Achievement from the ABA’s

Forum on Construction Law and the Defense Research

Institute’s Lewis Potter Award for outstanding service

to the defense bar.

Not only was Hugh a giant in surety and construction

law, but he accomplished so much outside of those areas.

While on active duty with the U.S. Army, he taught and

wrote on military affairs, international law, and other

subjects. Hugh served on the Commercial Law Proj-

ect for Ukraine shortly after the breakup of the Soviet

Union and spent time in Ukraine helping write commer-

cial laws for that country. He was especially proud of his

service as the 7th Circuit Representative to the Standing

Committee on Federal Judiciary of the American Bar

Association. This is the ABA’s peer review for nominees

for federal court positions. Hugh conducted interviews

and prepared reports that were submitted to the Senate

for further consideration of the candidates under nomi-

nation. Hugh attended all of the swearing-in ceremonies

for the nominees he reviewed.

Hugh served a lengthy period as managing partner

of Locke Reynolds. Despite being the rm’s primary

rainmaker, he led by example through fairness, compas-

sion, and generosity. He was known for his even-handed

approach to governance. He mentored generations of

lawyers, who owe their growth and success to his exem-

plary leadership.

Hugh relaxed by hand-painting battalions of tiny

gures in authentic uniform colors. He was a found-

ing member of the Great Lakes War Game Association,

where his knowledge of military history and mastery of

archaic and convoluted rules (usually written by him)

allowed him to overwhelm his opponents in weekend-

long reenactments.

Hugh was a mentor to young lawyers and was very

instrumental in the development and advancement of

female lawyers through his law rm and national organi-

zations. Hugh was a champion for female lawyers when

not many champions existed.

He was the most optimistic person I have met. I spoke

to him shortly after he moved to assisted living. Rather

than complain about the conditions that required assisted

living, Hugh chose to tell me how excited he was that

COVID restrictions had been lifted and he had been able

to nally have family visitors earlier that day. In that same

discussion, Hugh also told me of the books he had been

reading. Not once did he complain about his physical

conditions. At Hugh’s funeral, his son said two songs

describe his father: My Way by Frank Sinatra and Don’t

Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin. No truer words

have been spoken.

Shortly after 9/11, Hugh and I were in a mediation

in an Indianapolis ofce building. For security reasons,

the building had to be evacuated. As we huddled outside

on a cold winter day, I lost track of Hugh. After about

an hour of wait, we were told it was safe to reenter the

building. The room full of about 20 lawyers settled in to

continue the mediation session, but Hugh was absent. I

immediately knew where to nd him. I went down to the

rst oor of the ofce building and found Hugh seated in

a leather chair in the Borders Bookstore reading a book

on the Civil War. He was never one to pass a bookstore

without stopping to browse. Hugh was a brilliant trial

attorney, and his passion for military strategy played a

part in his success as a trial attorney.

Hugh spoke with eloquence and authority on many

Terrance L. Br ookie