still going strong - aws

Periodical Postage paid at Concord, NH 03301

Supporting members of the legal profession and their service to the public and the justice system.June 15, 2022 Vol. 33, No. 1

THE DOCKETINSIDEOpinions ............................ 4-5NHBA News ..................... 6-26NHBA•CLE ......................22-23

Practice Area Sections ...27-35NH Court News ..............36-39Classifieds .......................39-43 Spotting IP chain of custody issues in

M&A transactions; products and patents for machine inventors; zoning regulations for short-term rentals; the difficulty of advisory committes under right to know laws and more. PAGES 27-35

A History of Pronouns. Attorney John, C. Carroll responds to Gregory Sorg in a letter to the editor. PAGE 4

www.nhbar.org NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR NEWS SUPPLEMENT JUNE 15, 2022 I

NH Bar members look back and share advice and career highlights for the next generation.The following profiles are based on questionnaires sent

earlier this year to New Hampshire Bar members marking 50 years of law practice, and those who responded are included.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR MEMBERS CELEBRATING

50 YEARS OF LAW PRACTICE

1972–2022

A special supplement to the June 15, 2022 issue of Bar News.

Douglas F. Green Donald A. Burns

Then and Now

We want to see your “then” photos,

please email to [email protected].

50-year members. See our special 50-years of law practice supplement inside this edition.

603 Legal Aid Milestone. 603 Legal Aid celebrated their one-year anniversary on June 2 with a party attended by members of the NH legal community. PAGE 3

Courts. Check out the list of newly appointed and retiring judges from 2021-2022. PAGE 36

Municipal & Governmental Law and Intellectual Property Law

By Kathie Ragsdale

Most law firms are namedafter their founders or princi-pal attorneys, but Amanda L.Nelson chose a Latin phraseforherDover,NewHampshirepractice:ArtiumAmore. It means “for the loveof the arts” and it reflects thefirm’s dedication to servingthe artistic community and itsuniquelegalneeds. A native of Londonderry,NewHampshire,Nelsoncomesbyherloveoftheartshonestly.Hermother’s sideof the familyboastedseveralvisualartists, includingonewhomadegraphicdesignsforchildreninthelate Victorian and early Edwardian pe-riod, and her paternal grandmother andgreatauntwerebothpianists. Nelson’spaternalgrandfatherplayedthe violin, and it was his instrument –now102yearsold–thatsheusedwhen

shetookuptheviolinwhilestillatLon-donderry Junior High. She continued

playing for some 20 years, per-forming at venues from sym-phoniestoanopera. At the University of NewHampshire, she played for theschool’s symphony orchestrawhile earning a bachelor’s de-gree in History and Interna-tionalAffairs.SheenvisionedaStateDepartment career, but asummer study abroad programattheSorbonneinParisalteredthetrajectoryofherfuture. “It really did change my

life,”Nelsonsaysofthatsummer,whichshe spent exploring the City of Light’smanymuseums, cathedrals, and historicsites.“Isuddenlyfoundapassionin themuseum and antiquities and arts world.Everywhereyouwent,itwashistoryandculture.Iabsolutelyfellinlove.”

By Scott Merrill

Three hundred and twenty-sevenyears—that’sthecombinedamountoftimeNewHampshire’sfivelongestpracticingat-torneyshavebeenatit. Sincethe1950s,GeorgeWalker,Vic-torDahar,BobWelts,AlCasassa,andJackMiddleton,havebeenserving theirclientsthrough multiple generations and shapingthe legal landscape of New Hampshire.Whileeachofthesemenareslowingdownintheirownways—Daharcomesinat7:30a.m.thesedaysratherthan6:00a.m.ashedid for years—each of them continues toenjoygoingtowork. Aswespoke,eachonehelpedme tounderstandwhatitwasliketoliveandworkinNewHampshire’slegalcommunitylongbeforeIwasborn.

Jack Middleton

Jack Middle-ton,whocelebratedhis93rdbirthdayinJanuary,grewupinthesuburbsofPhil-adelphia and cametoNewHampshire,ultimately, becauseof his love of themountains. His formativealpine experiencescamewhen he andhis brother weresentbytheirparentstosummercamp inMainebecauseof thepolioepidemicinthe1930s. HerecalledhikesupMountChocoruain New Hampshire’s Sandwich Range aspartofhistimespentwiththecamp,anditwasthemountainsthatledhimbacktoNewEnglandforthreesummerstoworkfortheAppalachianMountainClub,whileattend-ingLafayettecollegeinPennsylvania,andasacaretakerat abuilding inTuckermanRavine. During law school atBostonUniver-sity,MiddletonreturnedtotheAppalachianMountainClub to runDollyCopp camp-ground,andthenspentayearattheMountWashingtonObservatory. “Twentydaysupand10daysdown,”hesays,referringtohistimespentworkingattheobservatory.“IlearnedthatIwanted

tostayinNewHampshire,butIdidn’twanttomakeacareeroutofworkingupthere.” MiddletonwashiredbyJohnMcLaneJr. in1956,andhebecame the tenth law-yertoworkatthefirmthatbearshisnametoday,McLaneMiddleton.Today,thefirmemploysover100attorneysspecializinginover30areasofpractice,andhasofficesinManchesterandBoston. In the early days,Middleton says hehadageneralpractice,aswasthecasewithmanyattorneysatthetime. “Theideawastodoeverything.Ididwillsanddeeds,litigation.Whatevercameup.” Hisbasesalaryin1956was$3,800ayearwitha10percentend-of-yearbonus. “Dollars then versus dollars now aretotally different,” he says. “My friendsfromlawschoolweremakingthesameat

bigfirmsinBoston.” Middleton tried his last case in 1987duetohearingtroublebutsayshisprimaryinteresthasalwaysbeeninlitigation. “We tried a lot more cases in thoseearly days, but over the years the area ofcivillitigationhasshrunktremendously,”hesays.“Mediationhasreallyputadentintheabilityforyounglawyerstogettrialexperi-ence.Everythingsettles.” Herecalledtrying“fenderbender”cas-eswherehehadtheopportunitytospendalotoftimewithlawyersfromSheehanPhin-neyorDevineMillimet,anditwasduringthese interactions,hesays, thatheformedlastingbondswithotherattorneys. “[T]hey had big insurance company

An Invaluable Real-World Law Education for New Lawyers

Still Going Strong New Hampshire’s Five Longest-Practicing Attorneys Share

Insightful Anecdotes From the 1950s Until Today

NELSON continued on page 16ATTORNEYS continued on page 18

CLERKS continued on page 8

For the Love of the ArtsAttorney Amanda Nelson Serves Artists’ Legal Needs

By Tom Jarvis

Sometimes we know what we want,butwedon’tknowhowwewant it.Lawschoolstudentsorrecentlawschoolgradu-atesmayknowtheywanttobelawyers,butnot necessarilywhere theywant to focustheirpractice.Thereareseveralpathsanew

lawyercantaketofigureitoutbutbecom-ingalawclerkisoneofthemorebeneficialones.ClerkshipofferspracticalexperienceinthenutsandboltsoftheNewHampshirelegalsystemthatcanhelpyoufocusyoureventual practice area and begin building

NH Superior Court law clerks standing in the library of the Rockingham Superior Court. From left to right: Michaela Dunn, first-year law clerk; Stephani Roundy Knights, Law Clerk Supervisor; Eric Monty, second-year law clerk; and Zachary Carlson, second-year law clerk. Photo/Tom Jarvis

ClerkshipsOfferUnparalleledPerspectiveontheJudicialSystem

50-year Supplement Inside

www.nhbar.org 2 JUNE 15, 2022 NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR NEWS

From the Editor

© 2022 Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP. All rights reserved. Attorney Advertising.

Litigating and resolving business andintellectual property disputes since 1981.

Fellow of American College of Trial Lawyers

Experienced Mediator & Arbitrator

ARNIE ROSENBLATT

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603-545-6122

hinckleyallen.com

I’m feeling bittersweet in sharingthatthiswillbemylast issueasEditoroftheNew Hampshire Bar News.IhaveacceptedapositionwiththeMonadnockLedger-Transcript,whereIwillhavethechancetofocusonregionalnewsasaneditor/reporter,whilecontinuingtoworkonprojectsdealingwith environmentaljusticeandcivicseducationfortheGran-iteStateNewsCollaborative. When I came on board as editortwo and half years ago, after being inacademiafor12years,Icommittedmy-self tounderstandingtheneedsofNewHampshire’s legal community and ofproducing relevant, quality news andfeature stories.Workingwith an amaz-ingstaffattheBar,andwithcolleaguesin theMarketing and CommunicationsDepartment,Ibelievewehavedonethat. I’mgratefulfortheopportunityI’vehadtointerviewandlearnfrommanyofyouworkinginNewHampshire’slegalcommunity.ThisbeganimmediatelyformebackinlateJanuary2020,whenIsatdownwiththeNewHampshireSupremeCourt Justices for an interviewnext tothefireintheSouterroomandhascon-tinued through pandemic Zoom meet-ings,andtripsaroundthestate tomeetinperson. My time at the Bar has been oneofswiftchangeanduncertaintyforev-eryoneinoursociety,andtheissueswecoveredat theBar News reflected this.Affordablehousingshortages,domesticviolence, landlord-tenant issues, estateplanning, restorative justice, environ-mental justice, and employment law-

werejustsomeofthemanysubjectsweprioritized. Throughoutmytimehere,Ihavecometo appreciate the commitment to serv-ing those in need that lawyers inNewHampshire bring to theirwork. I havehad the privilege of discussingmattersof fairnessandequity,firstamendmentissues regarding COVID-19 vaccines,thenuancesofschoollawduringapan-demic,andsomanyothers.AndIhavealways beenmetwith caring, thought-fulanalysisandinformationfromthoseI’veinterviewed.OnethingI’velearnedaboutthelawfromspeakingwithyouisthatitisnotmerelyameanstoend,oraweapon,butmoreimportantly,ady-namicfieldofknowledgethatcanmakecivildiscourse,compromise,andsocialchangepossible.AsIcontinuecoveringtheissuescon-frontingNewHampshire,IknowthatIwillbetalkingwithmanyofyouagain.There’s comfort in that. At the sametime,itwillbehardsayinggoodbyetoallofthededicatedpeopleI’vehadthechancetoworkwithattheBarCenter,especially Advertising and Sponsor-ship Sales Coordinator, Donna Parker,whoI’veworkedthemostcloselywithputtingout theBar News eachmonth.Her patiencewithme as I learned thejob,andherdedicationtomakingsureaqualitypaperreachesyourmailboxeseachmonth,isamazing. So,goodbye fornow,and Ihopethatourpathswillcrossonstoriesim-portanttothepeopleofNewHampshireagainverysoon.

I am originally fromBrooklyn, NewYork, butgrew up Goffstown, NewHampshire. I have also hadthe opportunity to live andworkinvariouspartsof thecountry, such asVermont,Massachusetts, andMin-nesota. I graduatedwith abachelor’sdegreeinsecond-ary education and SpanishfromMerrimackCollegeand

Meet Our New NHMCLE Coordinator Kelsey BinniethenattendedtheUniversityofSt.ThomasinMinneapolis,Min-nesota,whereIgraduatedwithamaster’sdegreeinLeadershipinStudentAffairs.Mostofmypro-fessionalexperienceisprimarilyin housing and residence life,workingatAugsburgUniversity,NorwichUniversity,andStone-hillCollege.Ialsohaveexperi-ence in continuing education,workinginOnlineProgramingat

A Bittersweet Farewell

FranklinPierceUniversity.Iamexcitedtoassistourmemberswiththeircontinu-inglegaleducationandIampassionateaboutworkingwithpeopleandhelpingotherssucceed. I currently reside inManchesterwithmyboyfriendandmydogSierra.Inmysparetime,Ienjoyhiking,traveling,cooking,camping,adventureswithmydog,andplayingcompetitivewomen’srugby.

@NHBAR

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Content in the New Hampshire Bar News, including articles, opinions expressed in letters or commentaries, as well as advertisements, do not necessarily reflect the policies or view-points of the New Hampshire Bar Association, the Board of Governors, the NHBA Editorial Advisory Board, or the NHBA Staff.

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One thing I’ve learned about the law from speaking with you is that it is not merely a means to end, or a weapon, but more importantly, a dynamic field of knowledge that can make civil discourse, compromise, and social change possible.

www.nhbar.org NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR NEWS JUNE 15, 2022 3

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By Pam Dodge

It was all hands on deck at 93 NorthState Street, in preparation for 603 LegalAid’sSweetSoireeheldonJune2 tocele-brateboth603LegalAid’sfirstbirthdayandto showoff the newoffice space.The 603LegalAid Board members enthusiasticallypitchedinwithfinancialsupporttohostacel-ebratoryparty,whileourmulti-talentedstaffactedtoimplementtheplan. Right on schedule, staff welcomedover 80 colleagues, partners, and commu-nitymembers toanopenhousecelebrationofourfirst-yearanniversary.BrianShaugh-nessy,Boardmember,spokeoftheplethoraof accomplishments attained by 603 LegalAid, beginningwith amulti-year statewideplanningprocess,whichultimatelyledtothemergerofProBonoandLARCstaffonJune1, 2021,melding two distinct yet valuablecultures.Brianwentontoacknowledgetheinvaluable commitment to access to justiceof Ginny Martin, former Executive Direc-tor for theNHBAProBono Program, andBreckieHayesSnow,ExecutiveDirectorforLARC,whoshepherdedthismergertowardsuccess.Hon.GordonMacDonaldfollowed,withremarkscomplimentingstaffontheac-complishmentsachievedandcongratulatingSonyaBellafantforheradeptstewardshipofthismergedorganization,notinghishighre-gardforherprofessionalism. The exemplary professionalism and

commitment to client services of the staffwasondisplaythroughthemultiplephysical,andtechnologicalmovesthestaffenduredaf-terthemerger.Despitemovingofficesandimplementinganewphonesystem,servicestotheclientsneverwavered.ThisSweetSoi-reewasawaytoshowoffthenewspace,butmore importantly itwasaway tocelebrateourdedicatedstaffforayearofgoingaboveandbeyondeverysingleday. Throughoutthismergerwehavemadesignificant progress toward improving anddelivering access to justice in NH. Firstup was the implementation of centralizedintake. 603 LegalAid andNHLegalAs-sistance worked together to share programprioritiestoreduceduplicativeservices,andnow litigants seeking access to civil legalservicescandosoinonestop,reducingcon-fusionandimprovingthespeedwithwhichthedeliveryoflegalservicesismadetothosemost inneed. Ourpatientandknowledge-ableintakestaffhelpsclientsaccesstheap-propriate resources or agency best suitedtomeet thatclient’s legalneeds. Since themerger,over6,000peoplehaveusedournewcentralizedintakesystem,withover5,000re-ceivingservicesfromouramazing603LegalAidparalegalsandattorneys,orfromoneofourextremelydevotedvolunteers. Kudos to the 603 Legal Aid housingteam for our first successful NH SupremeCourtAppealwithAttorneyMartaHurgin,603LegalAid’snewLegalDirector,at the

603 Legal Aid Celebrates a Milestone

helm.MartasuccessfullyrepresentedaMan-chesterroominghousetenantinfrontoftheNewHampshireSupremeCourtinanappealofaneviction,whichthetenantclaimedvio-latedherrights. 603LegalAidcontinuestoactivelyad-vocateforvictimsofdomesticviolenceandstalkingaswell.InDecember2021,theNHSupremeCourt initiatedamultidisciplinaryTaskForceonDomesticViolenceCases intheNewHampshire JudicialSystem.DoveProjects Coordinator, Pam Dodge, was in-volvedinthiseffortaspartoftheDVTaskForce Working Group. Further, GovernorChrisSununusignedanExecutiveOrderonApril11,reestablishingthemultidisciplinaryGovernor’sCommission onDomesticVio-lence, SexualAssault, and Stalking after a10-yearabsence.TheCommissionmembers,including603LegalAid’sAngelikaWilker-son,havebeenappointedandwill serve at

thepleasureoftheGovernor. Thishastrulybeenayeartoremember.603 LegalAid thanks all our partners andfriendsontheBenchandintheBarwhohavebeensupportiveofusinourfirstyear.Weareofftoagreatstart,andmoreyearsofhigh-qualitylegalservicetoourmostvulnerablefriends and neighbors in New Hampshirearestilltocome.Andmoreparties.Wewilldefinitelyhavemoreparties! Special recognition for the eventplan-ning goes to the “entrepreneur of SweetPleadings”(AKASonyaBellafant,603Le-galAidExecutiveDirector), resident eventplanner (AKAVanessaValdes,CommunityEducator&LITCAssistant), creativemar-ketingdesignspecialist(AKAElyseMcKay,DOVEAssistantCoordinator),and603Le-galAidwhip(AKAEmmaSisti,603LAProBonoProgramManager).

Staff gathered for a group photograph on June 2 at 603 Legal Aid’s first birthday party at their office in Concord. Courtesy Photo

NH Supreme Court Justice Barbara Anna Hanz Marconi speaks with an attendee at 603 Legal Aid’s Sweet Soiree held on June 2 to celebrate 603’s first birthday and their new office space at 93 N. State Street in Concord. Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald was also in attendance. Cour-tesy Photo

From left, NH Su-preme Court Chief Justice Gordon Mac-Donald, 603 Legal Aid’s Executive Direc-tor Sonya Bellafant, and 603 Legal Aid board member, Brian Shaughnessy on June 2 at the Sweet Soiree in Concord. Courtesy Photo


Opinions

GovernorSununuhas just signed intolawthecreationofa$100,000,000fundtobeusedtocompensatehundredsofvictimsofphysicalandsexualassaultattheYouthDevelopment Center in Manchester. TenformerYDCemployeeshavebeenchargedcriminallyfortheirevilconduct. Anarbitratorwill decideamountsperclaimant,butvictimsmustgiveupgoingtocourtforajurytrial. The idea is similar tomanymass tortsettlement funds, such as theWorldTradeCenterandtheBoyScouts,whichweresetup to avoid years and years of court pro-ceedingsandappeals.Sinceeachclaimanthas endured different physical or sexualabuse,aone-size-fits-allsettlementinacon-sumerproductclassactionisnotpermittedbecauseofthegreatvarietyofclaims. Acoupleofyearsago,over70womenatDartmouthCollegesettledaclassactionfor sexual assault and harassment for $14million.Again,theotherlawyersandIsetupasystemtopayoutdifferentamountstoeachpersonaffecteddependingon the se-verityof theharmsuffered. Thenumbersare in line with the number of claimantsonthe$100millionYDCfundanditstotalamount. TheYDC fund is a tradeoff betweenspeedandsomecompensation, rather thanyearsinthecourtsystemwaitingtoseewhat12peopleonajurymightdecide.Itisnotperfectandwillnotfullycompensatesomeof those harmed. Those who are youngenoughmaybewillingtowaityearsforthehundreds of trials standing between them

andtheirdayincourt,andwouldavoidthefundprocess.

How Will the Fund Process Claims? First,aneutralattorneywillbechosenby theNHSupremeCourt to serve as theAdministratorofthefund.Thispersonmustbe agreed to by theAttorneyGeneral andcounselforclaimants,andwillbepaidthesameasaSuperiorCourtjudgeifheorsheisfull-time. Claim forms, procedures, and settle-mentguidelineswillbedeterminedby theAttorneyGeneral. Aswas done 20 yearsago in the negotiations with the DioceseofManchesterby thehandfulofus repre-sentingvictimsofsexualassaultbypriests,wedevelopedamatrixtohelpputadollarvalue on the cases based on the nature oftheabuse,thefrequencyanddurationofit,andaggravatingfactors.Thiswillresultingroupingof claims intovalues and rangesforthedifferenttypesofabuseattheYDC. For any one person who underwentsexualandphysicalabuse,thereisacaporlimitof$1,500,000,butforphysicalabuseonly,thelimitis$150,000intheaggregateperperson.

When Can Claims Be Filed? ByNovember 1 of this year, the per-son chosen asAdministrator shall publishnoticethatclaimantscanbeginfilingclaimson or after January 1, 2023. Any formerresidentoftheYDCmaythenfileaclaim,but no family members or relatives willhavestandingtofileaclaimforanydistress

theyexperiencedasaresultoftheabuseofarelativeattheYDC.Thereisatwo-yearwindow for filing of claims running fromJanuary1,2023toDecember31,2024. Filingaclaimisvoluntary,butclaim-antsthathavefiledsuit(asabout500havedone)mustforgothejudicialprocessforthefundarbitrationsystem,andcannotgetbackinlineforcourtiftheydonotliketheresult.Theprocess,unlikegoingtocourt,isconfi-dential,buttheclaimantmaybeinterviewedbyaninvestigator. In the Catholic Church priest cases,allmy clientswere interviewed as part ofthatprocesssetuptoresolveclaimswithoutgoingtocourt.Noclaimwasturneddownbasedonthe50orsocasesIhandled. IfaYDCclaimisnegotiatedandset-tled, the claimant will have resolved the

$100 Million Youth Development Center Settlement Fund Will Work for Many Victims

While I am accustomed to occasion-allyseeingopinionsinNHBarnewsthatraisemyhackles,Ihaverarelyseenacon-tributionwheretheclearpassionofanau-thorissopreciselymatchedbythefactualwrongnessoftheircontentions. Rhetorically raising the banner ofwhat I am sure he regards as ‘commonsense,’ Gregory Sorg decried MelissaChristensen’sApril article concerning theuseofgender-neutralpronounsorphrasingforits“absurdpairingsofpluralpronounswith singular nouns.” For example, “Theattorneywent to the courthouse and theylefttheirphoneatsecurity.”Inthisrespect,Mr. Sorg has joined the long tradition ofpedanticgrammarscoldswhohavesoughttobanishtheuseof“they/them/their”asgender-neutral or -indeterminate singularpronouns. I regret to informMr.Sorg that, justlike his antecedents reaching back to the18th century, he is thoroughly mistaken.Farfrombeinganewfangledinventionofthe21stcentury,or the20th,or the19th,orthe18th,theuseof“they,”etc.,assin-gular pronouns can call on precedents inthe written record reaching all the waybackto1375inMiddleEnglish,asrelatedinaninsightfulandconciseBriefHistoryofSingularThey,publishedbytheOxfordEnglishDictionary.Forthoselookingforamoreexhaustivereviewofthe“SingularThey,”thereisWhat’s Your Pronoun: Be-yond He & She,byDenisBaron,ProfessorEmeritus of English at the University ofIllinois, whichpointsout thatsuch illus-triousfiguresofEnglish lettersasAgathaChristie,CharlesDickens,and(bestillourhearts!) thebardhimself,WilliamShake-speare, utilized “they” as a singular pro-noun. Nor is the ‘singularizing’ of a pluralpronoununprecedentedintheEnglishlan-guage,as“you”wasasecond-personplu-ralnounthatwasadaptedasapoliteformof address to a single individual, akin toFrenchvous,GermanSie,etc.Thisexistedalongsidethe‘true’second-personsingularpronouns“thou/thee/thy”foranextend-ed period until these fell out of commonusage,leavingtheformerlysecond-personplural pronoun “you” standing alone tocoverbothsingularandpluralusage. Having dispensed with Mr. Sorg’s

contentionsbasedonhisviewofwhatcon-stitutespropergrammar,Ifeelwecanalsosetasideanynotionthattheuseof“singu-larthey”willsomehowresultinmisunder-standingsamongapopulaceaccustomedtousingitintheireverydaylives.Eveniftheregularusageof“they”foranindividualinplace ofmasculine or feminine pronounsmightoccasionally requireexplanationoradjustment on the part of one or anotherparty, certainly this would not be moretime-consuming or onerous than personswith gender-indeterminatenames correct-ingcorrespondents—just askamale“Sa-sha”or“Lesley.” This leaves only Mr. Sorg’s com-plaint about having to avoid “offend[ing]anymemberoftheso-called‘trans-gendercommunity,’whichitis[Mr.Sorg’s]under-standing comprises less than one-half ofonepercentofthepopulation[and]wasn’tevena‘thing’until itwasdiscoveredandidentified in recent years bywhiteLiber-als[…].”Icouldrespondwithalonglistofhistoricalantecedentsoftransgenderornon-binaryclassifications acceptedacrosshumansocietiesandovertime,relateper-sonalanecdotesofthevarioustransornon-binarypersons Ihavebecomeacquaintedwithovertheyears,orpointtoprominentfigures to underscore their existence. Icouldalsopointoutthatthereisnodemo-graphic threshold for any group to enjoylegal or human rights, respect, or to beaccorded basic human decency, such thatwhethertranspeoplemakeupahalfaper-centagepointofthepopulace,orlesbianseight percent, or African-Americans tenpercent, etc., should make no difference,particularly herewhere the “ask” (to usethe preferred pronouns of an individual)issominimal.Isuspect,however,thatMr.Sorg might not be inclined to entertainsuchconsiderations Inmy view, the imprecision lies notwith those utilizing “they” as a singularpronoun,and responsibility for thecoars-eningofourculturecanbelaidmorejustlyatthefeetofthosewhowoulddenyeventhe slightest recognition or accommoda-tion to a much-maligned, much-stigma-tized, andhighlyvulnerablegroupofourfellowcitizens.

JohnC.Carroll,Montréal,Québec

casefarfasterthancouldhavebeendoneincourt.IftheclaimcannotbesettledwiththeAttorneyGeneral’soffice,thenitwillgototheAdministratorforanarbitrationhearingunderrulesnotyetfleshedoutforathree-hourhearing. Attorneyswhorepresentclaimantswillbelimitedtonotmorethanaone-thirdcon-tingent feeon theamount recovered. The$100,000,000 fundwill last until June30,2032. Whilenotaperfectsolution,theStateowesvictimsatimelyandfairresolutionforthe tragedies that should never have hap-penedtothem.

Chuck Douglas is a former NH Supreme Court Justice who practices law in Con-cord.

The Nearly 700-year History of the Singular “They” & the Coarsening Effect of Imprecise Language

Letter to the Editor

The NHBA Lawyer Referral Service’s

Modest Means Programis facing a critical shortage

of attorneys to help thosetoo poor to pay standard fees

but too “rich” to qualify for pro bono help.

If you have the time and heart to become a LRS panelist and want to make a difference, call us today at

603-715-3235


Opinions

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SamAlito’s draft Dobbs1 opinion isnotpro-life,itispro-government.Theruleheannouncesis: “Alawregulatingabortion,likeotherhealth and welfare laws, is entitled to a“strongpresumptionofvalidity”…Itmustbesustainedifthereisarationalbasisonwhichthelegislaturecouldhavethoughtitwouldservelegitimatestateinterests.”2 Theopinionisnotpro-life.Theopin-iondidnotexpress“anyviewaboutwhenaStateshouldregardpre-natallifeashavingrights.”3 His opinion and rule is pro-lifemerely by the happenstance that in somestatesitwillpermitrightwingactiviststoimposetheirvalues.Buttheopinionanditsrulearenotpro-life. Consider this thought experiment:A

stateisconcernedwiththesocietaleffectsofteenpregnancy.Thestatemayfindanddeclare as legislative fact that young un-wedmothers,andtheirchildren,aremorelikely to suffer numerous social ills; theymaydropoutofschoolatagreaterrateandmaybecomepoorerandsicklier;theirchil-drenmaysufferfromagreaterincidenceofmalnutrition,poorpre-natalcareandpoordaycare.Theseunwedmothers and theirchildrenmaybeatgreaterriskofbecomingpublicchargesandtheymaybesubjectedtoharsherandshorterlives.Thestatemayrespondtothoseconcernsandenactalawthatunwed,pregnantwomenunderacer-tainageshallbe legally required toaborttheirpregnancies. Will theDobbscourtfindsucha law

a violation of the 14thAmendment?TheanswerunderRoev.Wadewasclear:yessuch a law violates thewoman’s right toprivacy.4ButDobbsoverruledRoeandbydoingsopermitsstatemandatedabortions. The new rule of Dobbs grants theState’slawa“strongpresumptionofvalid-ity.”Under thenewrule, theStatestatuterequiring abortions must be sustained bythe courts if “there is a rational basis onwhichthelegislaturecouldhavethoughtitwouldservelegitimatestateinterests.” Is there a legitimate state interest inless impoverished, healthier, longer livesofitscitizens?Yes. Couldithavethoughtthosepredicatefacts?Yes. Istherearationalbasis,havingfound

thosefacts,toconcludethatrequiringabor-tionswouldservethoselegitimatestatein-terests?Yes.

Endnotes1. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization,U.S.SupremeCourtNo.19-1392.2. Id.atp.66.3. Id.at.p.29.4. Arnold v. Bd. of Educ. of Escambia Cnty. Ala.,880F.2d305(11thCir.1989). Dobbs will support state mandated abor-tion.SamAlito’sDobbsopinionisnotpro-lifeitispro-government.

EdmondFord

Alito’s Draft Opinion is Not Pro-Life

IamwritingtoadvocatethattheNewHampshirecourtsystemmoveforwardwithbringingelectronicfilinganddocumentac-cesstoallcourtsassoonaspossible.Giventhetechnologyavailable,thecontinueduseofpaperfilingisunnecessarilyinefficient. Our six-lawyer firm handles a fairlyhighvolumeoffamilyandcriminalcases.We spend an excruciating amount of timeonthephonewiththecallcentertofindoutbasic information like whether a continu-ancehasbeengranted,awaiverofarraign-menthasbeenapproved,orapleadinghasbeenfiledbyanopposingparty.On somehighconflictcaseswewillcallregularlytoget a case summary emailed just tomakesure we didn’t “miss” an order, pleadingfromtheotherside,orhearingnotice.Thisinvolvesconsiderableunnecessarylaboronourpart,andthecourt’spart,tosimplyre-gurgitateroutineinformation. LikemanyNewHampshirefirms,weoftentakecasesuptoanhourfromourlo-cation.Thismeansthatifwewanttofileadocument that is time sensitive,we eitherneedtoovernightmailit,orincurtheinter-nallabororcouriercostofahanddelivery.Ifweareretainedinthemiddleofacase,wehavenoinexpensivewaytoacquireallthepleadingsfileduptothatdate.Wecanhardlyrelyonourclient,oropposingcoun-sel,togiveusacompleteandaccuratecopyofallpleadingsfiled. Wehavelawyersworkingpartiallyre-mote,oroutofdifferentoffices.Somearesupported,inpart,bystaffwhoarenotinthe

samephysical location.Offering this levelofflexibilityhelpstoattractandretaintal-entandisbecomingcommonplaceinmanydifferentworksettings.Anobstacle is thatclerksofcourtimposearequirementthatallattorney signatures be “original”,meaningthey will not accept electronically affixedcopiesofasignature.Therefore,wehaveat-torneyswhosometimesexpendsignificanttraveltimeforthesolepurposeofsigningadocumentthattheycouldjustaseasilyap-proveremotely. Electronicfilingwouldgoa longwayin solving problems that arise around thespeedandaccuracy inhowdocumentsaredelivered.Asitstandsnow,ifthecourtis-suesanorder,ortheopposingpartyfilesapleading, itusually takesone to twobusi-nessdaysforustoreceiveit.Afrequentre-sponsedeadlineistendays.Meaningthatifwewanttomailthedocumentbacktoavoidthe cost of a hand delivery, our ten daystorespondjustwentdowntosixorseven.Thisismanageablebuttheproblemisthatwhenwe receive a pleading from the op-posingparty,wehavenoideawhenitwasfiledwiththecourt.(Manylawyersdonotreliablyfollowtheruleofcopyingtheop-posing party in the samemanner that thepleadingwasfiled).Therefore,ifwewantasmuchtimeaspossibletorespond,weneedtocallthecallcenterandsitonhold,justtofindouttheexactdateapleadingwasfiled.Which isawasteof timeforboth the lawfirmandthecourt. Sadly,Ihaveseenpettyandunseemly

squabbles between family lawyers accus-ing each other of not having sent a docu-ment properly. Entire court hearings havedevolved into bickering between lawyersaboutwhosentwhatdocumentwhen,withbarelyanyfocusonthesubstanceofthele-galissuesfacingthebewilderedparties. Noneofthisistomention,ofcourse,the significant physical resources that canbe saved by electronic filing– paper, ink,storagespace,andwastefulenergytotrans-portdocumentsthatcouldjustasreadilybetransmittedwithafewmouseclicks.Allthecostsofdeliveringlegalservicesare,toatleastsomeextent,passedontocli-ents.Theproblem isparticularlyacute forresidentsoftheveryruralpartsofthestate,suchasGrafton,Coos,andCarrollcounties.Thereisawell-knownshortageoflawyersintheseareas.Inmanyofthecourtsinthesecounties there are few law firms nearby,andsometimesnonethatpracticefamilyorcriminallaw.Desperateresidentsoftenseeklawyersfromhoursaway.Duetothetraveldistance,many lawyersfromConcordandsouthwillonlyacceptacaseintheseremotelocationsiftheyreceiveapremiumretainerto cover travel costs. Expanded electronicfiling, and especially expanded use of re-mote hearings (a topic for another day)wouldmakelawyersfromthemoredenselypopulatedareasmuchmorelikelytoacceptcasesonamore reasonable retainer in thefarawayandruralareas. Iunderstandthatlaunchingelectronicfiling requires significant court personnel

whenitisfirstrolledout.However,itseemslikelythatthehigherupfrontcostsinlaborwillpayoffovertimewithlaborsavedatthecall center,whichwill no longer be facedwithsomanyunnecessarycallsforinforma-tion.Idon’thaveenoughdatatodoaproperpayoffanalysis,butitwouldbeinterestingtoseetheresultsofone.

Andrew Winters is a managing partner of a small law firm with practice areas in Fam-ily Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Estate Planning.

Opinion: New Hampshire Practitioners and Litigants Would Benefit from Expanded Electronic Filing

C O N C O R D6 0 3 - 2 2 4 -7 7 9 1

P E T E R B O R O U G H 6 0 3 - 9 2 4 - 3 8 6 4

P O R T S M O U T H 6 0 3 - 4 3 6 -7 0 4 6

Medical malpractice is a unique practice area, and our firm has the resources and expertise to handle this type of complex, expensive litigation. We employ attorneys who concentrate on malpractice litigation. We also have the negotiating experience and judgment to obtain the best possible results for our client.

MIKE MCGR ATHHEATHER BURNS

Medical Malpractice Group [email protected]

uptonhatfield.com

S E R V I N G N E W H A M P S H I R E S I N C E 1 9 0 8


Information Technology

By Zafar Khan

At the begin-ningofthepandem-ic, we offered ourteamsandcustomersin the legal indus-try subtle tips aboutthe psychology ofremote communica-tionsviaourregularTechEssentialspub-lication. Since these tips were published,many have indicated that they have beenveryhelpful in fosteringbetterworkcom-munications over the last year and a half.This has reminded the scientist inme thatwe nowhave a baseline (albeit anecdotal)that these tips actually work! Plus, manyofourmorerecentproductinnovationsareenabling these tips to be used with muchgreaterease. Sopleaseusethesetipsingoodhealth,especially sincemanyof uswill bework-ingremotelyorinhybridworksituationsfortheforeseeablefuture.Plus,ifyou’reaStarWars fan,you’re in luckbecause therearesomeparallelsbetweenhowthesetipsworkintherealworldandwhatJediknightsdoinagalaxyfar,faraway.Sopleasereadonifyou’dliketo‘usetheforce’inordertomas-terbetterremoteworkcommunications.

Tip 1: Tame the Initial “Fight-or-Flight” Instinct (Using Emojis or

other Personalized Communication) Without theregularhumaninteraction

Jedi Mind Tricks to Master Remote Work Communications

ofin-personclientvisits,in-officemeetings,orin-personconferences,evenayellowani-matedemojiwithaquasi-humanfaceplacedincontextofanemailcan initiatea favor-ablehumanbondingexperience—notunlikeseeing the apparition ofYoda orObi-WanKenobiappearjustwhenyoufaceacriticalchallenge. Hereis(scientifically)why:• Putting an emoji in the context of thefirstsentenceofanemailsubconscious-lyputsthereaderinapositivemindsetbefore they process the message con-tent,whichhelpsguidetheirbraininto

interpreting thewords they seewith amorepositivehue.

• AsweexplainedbackinJune2020(andwithoutgettingtoodeepintothesciencebehind it), this emoji phenomenonhastodowithsimplecuesthatcanreleasetherighthormoneinreaders,ones thatcanprovideapositiveaurawhile theirbrain interprets the content of youremail.

• Whenyouengageinapositiveway,asDr. Jonathan Silk, a decorated Armyveteran,purpleheartrecipient,andCEOofbusinesscoachingfirm,Bridge3ex-plains, thepeopleyou arevirtually in-

teractingwith(e.g.,readingyouremailorTeamsmessage)benefitfromasurgeof oxytocin hormone levels, which isthe neurotransmitter in their brain thatsupportsbondingbehaviorandpositiveemotionsassociatedwithtrust.

• Thissimpleemojiplacementincontextin the beginning of yourmessagewillthereforemake readersmore receptiveto the message you are delivering byemail.

So what specifically from RPost canprovide a similar ‘emoji effect’? We’veheardfromcustomerswhouseRMailtimeandagainthatwhentheirrecipientsseetheRMail Email Encrypted banner visible intheiremailsitgivesthempeace-of-mindandconfidenceinknowingthattheircommuni-cationswillbefreefrompryingeyes. There’s also RMail’s SideNote® fea-ture,whichgivescontextupfronttorecipi-entscopiedonanemailastowhattoexpectfromtheemailorwhytheywerecopied.It’sbasicallylikeapersonalsticky-notethatof-fersanextralayerofexplanationandcanbeasformal/informalasthesenderwants.(It’salsonocoincidence that thecolorofSide-Notemessagesareafriendly,emoji-likeyel-low!)SideNotemessages canhelp smoothovertheedgesofremotecorporatecommu-nicationsandcanhavetheeffectinaremoteworld of a friendly, very human sidebar. Ioftenuse them to communicatepraise andthanks to individuals on an otherwise dryworkemailchain.

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Tip 2: Make Effective (Virtual) Eye Contact

When you’re speaking with someonedirectlyinthenon-remoteworld(e.g.,acardealership, a restaurant, or adinnerparty),and they avoid eye contact, what do younormally think?Probably that theyareun-comfortableand/ortryingtohidesomethingfromyou.Eitherway,it’snotagoodlook.AgoodJedicanintuitnon-verbalcuesevenwithoutusingtheForce. Thequestionis:Doeseyecontacthavethesameeffectinthevirtualworld? Manyofuscontinuetosuccumbtoallthedistractionsrampantintheremotework-ingworld.Thinkof it thisway:Whenwewere in theoffice,howmanyofushad tocontend with kids/pets barging in on ourmeetings or having that loaf of sourdoughbreadintheovensetoffthefirealarm?Tothepersonontheotherendofthevideocon-ference,theyhavenoideawhatyourhomelifeislike,sothroughtheirvideoconferencelens,theymayonlyseesomeonewhoclear-lyisnotinterestedinthebusinessathand. A recent study concludes that, yes, ifyouuseeyecontactinvirtualmeetings,thesubconscious of the person you are con-nectingwithautomaticallymimicsyoureyecontactandmovement,andthereisthenaninitiatedhumanconnection.Interestingly,itis not seeing someone’s face or smile thatcreatesthishumanizedencounter—it’sthelive eye contact and the synchronizing ofone’sgazeandblinking. Whataboutifsomeonewatchesapre-recorded“webinar?”Canyour eyecontacthavethesameimpact? According to the study, no; live eyecontactinvokesagreateremotionalconnec-tionthanpre-recorded.Thestudyconcludesthatneuralsubstratesofaliveonlinemutual

eyegaze–thisautomaticeyemimicry–ac-tivates the limbicmirror systemmore in aliveonlineencounter. Bottomline:Directliveonlineeyecon-tactcounts.Eveninthevirtualworld,itre-mainsacriticalpartofhumansocialinterac-tionbecauseitiscloselytiedtotheformationofrelationshipsandfeelingsofempathy. So that’s the science behind making(virtual)eyecontact.Here’ssomepracticaladvice: Makesurethatyoureyesarelevelwithyourcomputer’scamera.Thisisparticularlydifficultwhenworkingwithlaptopsbecausewhentheyareplacedondesks(orlaps)thecamerasoftenmustbetiltedup,whichcangreatly throwoffanymeaningful eye con-tact.Soputthoseoldbooksandmagazinestouseandpropupyourlaptopswiththemsoyoucanachievedirectandleveleyecontact. Inmanyways,theRegisteredEncryp-tion™servicefromRMailprovidesthekindof disarming reassurance that quality eyecontactprovides.ThispatentpendingRPosttechnologygivesanemail sendervisibilityaroundwhetherasentemailwasinfactde-liveredencryptedfromthesender’sdesktoptotherecipient’sinbox.AsI’vesaidbefore,it’s like the RMail Registered Receipt™you’veallcometoknowandlove,butnowyougetcertifiedproofoffactofend-to-endencryption.Putanotherway,RegisteredEn-cryption™willnotonlyshowyouthatyourmessage got to the receiver encrypted butthatittraveledthewholewayencrypted. Registered Encryption™ can recordwhetheranemailthatwassenthasremainedatanacceptableorbestlevelofencryptionfrom the sender’s desktop through to andwhileinsidetherecipient’sinboxwhilethemessageisatrest;andcanproveifneeded–withanauditableandauthenticatablerecord– that thesenderdid transmitspecificcon-

tentintheirmessageend-to-endencrypted.How’sthatforbuildingtrust?

Tip 3: Use the Force. Nod Your Head.

YourememberthesceneintheoriginalStar Wars movie where Obi-Wan Kenobitells those storm troopers, “these aren’t thedroidsyou’relookingfor.”ThisisaclassicexampleofaJedimindtrickwhere,throughaseriesofphysicalgestures, themindofasubject is briefly controlled. In the movie,we’retoldthatyoumustusetheForcetodothis. For us non-Jedis working from homeon video conferences, nodding your headup and down (showing approval) is in ef-fecttellingothersandyourselfthatyouhaveconfidenceinyourownthoughts–whetherthosethoughtsarepositiveornegative.Theevidence for this can be found in researchdoneatOhioState. Ina sense,noddingorshaking your head, as well as other bodymovementsactasakindof“self-validation”thatconfirmstousandothershowwefeelaboutourownthoughts.Animportantcave-athereisthatnoddingyourheadsidetoside(showingdisapproval)can,notsurprisingly,havetheoppositenegativeeffect. Wait, so I can control other people’sminds simply by shakingmyhead up anddown? No,it’snotreallylikewhathappensinStarWars,andthat’sagoodthing—althoughsome people can be very persuasive usingphysical cues.What is happening is moreaboutinstillingafeelingof“contagiouscon-fidence”inwhatyou’resaying.It’snotlikenoddingyourheadwillgetyourbosstoim-mediatelygiveyouthatpromotion. The scientific phenomenon here iscalled “isopraxism” (iso being Greek for

“same” and praxism meaning “behavior”)orotherwiseknownas“mirroring.”Thisisbehaviorinwhichonepersonunconsciouslyimitatesthegesture,speechpattern,oratti-tudeofanother. In a video conference situation, yourpositiveheadnoddingwhenyouspeakcanmakeanotherpersoninthemeetingmirroryourpositiveheadnoddingwhichcaninstillagreementandgenerallypositivefeelingsinbothpeople.Notethatthisshouldbedoneina subtleway (likeObi-Wan),asdoing thisnodding too obviously will then just lookstrangeandoff-putting. HowcanRPosthelpmewiththisiso-praxismthing? Whilewehaveyettoinventatechnolo-gytodirectlyhelppeoplegainconsensusonvideoconferences,RSign is themosteffec-tive,efficient,andaffordablewayofgainingagreementviaelectronicsignature.RSign’seaseofuseandability tostreamlinework-flows instills what we like to call “senderandsignerbliss”–it’sthesoftwareversionoftheup-and-downheadnod. RSign has a simple user design, shar-able templates, template rules and depen-dencies,customworkflows,realtimereport-ing,advanceddocumentconfiguration,andmuch more. If you’re now nodding yourhead in agreement about RSign’s benefitsandeaseofuse,thenmyworkhereisdone.IntheimmortalwordsofObi-Wan,“youcangoaboutyourbusiness...movealong.” Thatconcludesour‘Jediseminar’.Wehopeyou’veenjoyedreadingaboutthesere-motecommunications tips.Pleasefeel freeto contact us atRPost or auto-schedule anRPostmeeting or demo to discuss RMail,RSign,oranyof theotherhighlightedfea-turesin-depth.Maythe(remotecommunica-tions)Forcebewithyou!

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

Randy Reis Kimberly Kirkland

AtReis&Kirkland,weprovideskilledrepresentationtovictims ofmedicalmalpracticeandothernegligentconduct.Ourdedicatedteamwelcomestheopportunitytoassist

youandyourclients.

603-792-0800www.reiskirkland.com

250CommercialStreet,Suite4002AManchester,NH03101

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

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At Reis & Kirkland, we provide skilled representation to victims of medical malpractice and other negligent conduct.

Our dedicated team welcomes the opportunity to assist you and your clients.

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yournetwork. Law clerks (also known as judicialclerks)arelawyerswhoprovidedirectsup-portandcounseltoajudgeorjustice.Theyareprimarilyresponsiblefordebriefingcasesandtrialrecords,researchingtheapplicablelaw,preparingquestionsfororalarguments,and drafting legal memoranda and courtopinions. Recentlawschoolgraduatesaregener-allytheonesqualifiedforthisjob,andclerk-ship typically runs for two years.Many oftoday’s judges and justices began their ca-reersaslawclerks.IntheUSSupremeCourtalone, six of the current Justices launchedtheir careers clerking: JohnG.Roberts, Jr.,Stephen G. Breyer, Elena Kagan, Neil M.Gorsuch,BrettM.Kavanaugh,andAmyCo-neyBarrett. Oneofthemainbenefitsofaclerkshipislearninghowthecourtworks–whatjudgesandjurieslookatandhowtheymakedeci-sions in cases.According to Paralegaledu.org,anastutelawclerkwillpickupmoreinayearofclerkingthantheydidduringtheirentiretimeinlawschool. It’s also an excellent chance for newlawyers to bolster their networkwithin thelegal community. In every clerkship, dailyinteraction with lawyers, judges, and otherofficialswithbusinessbeforethecourtpro-videsnetworkingprospectsintheirjurisdic-tion.Observingmany attorneys in practiceeachdayalsoexposesclerkstoawiderangeoflegalstylesandmayprovideacumenintolegalorganizationsthatcaninformdecisionsaboutfuturepermanentemployment. “It’s a great first job because it givesyouafront-rowseattothelegalprocessandlitigationwithout having toomuch skin in

thegame,”NHSupremeCourtSeniorLawClerk,AlexandraSchmitt,says.“It’sanop-portunitytoobserveandlearnwithouthav-ingtobethepersonlitigatingthecase.Ital-lowsyoutogaininsightintohowthecourtsworkanditgivesyouanopportunitynootherattorneygetstohave–havingthatconversa-tionwithajudgeafterahearingorargument.Going from being a law clerk to the othersideof thebench,youcomeoutwitha lotmoreconfidence.”

Schmittalsosaysit’sagreatopportunityfornewattorneystocreaterelationshipswithjudges.“Itgivesyouthatfirst-personaccesstoajudge,thatyoucanlearnfromandhaveamentoringrelationshipwith,that’sinvalu-able. Going from being a law clerk to theothersideofthebench,youcomeoutwitha

lotmoreconfidence.” StephaniRoundyKnights,aLawClerkSupervisorforRockinghamSuperiorCourt,lovesherjob.Sheclerkedstraightoutoflawschoolin2008,thenafterpracticinginafirmforawhile,shereturnedtoclerkingin2016whenthenewlycreatedsupervisorypositionbecame available. LikeAlexandra Schmitt,hersupervisorylawclerkjobisapermanentposition. “Law clerking is a great training op-portunityfornewlawyersatany level.Fornewlawyerswhomaynotknowwhatareatheywanttopracticeinlongterm,theycandabble,”RoundyKnightssays.“Oreven ifyoudoknow,it’sanopportunitytobecomefamiliarwiththejudgesandtheprocessonthe other sidewhen representing clients. Itcansetyouupforsuccessandhelpyougetalegupinyourpractice.” Anecdotally,whenRoundyKnightswasencouragedtoapplyforthenewLawClerkSupervisorposition,shewas35weekspreg-nant.Shegavebirthjusttwodaysbeforetheinterviewandkept telling thenurses in thehospitaltomakesureshe’sreadytogohomeonWednesdayforherinterview.“That’showbadly Iwanted the job,” she lightheartedlysaid.“Ipulledmyselfoutofthehospitalforit.” Inadditiontothebenefitsoflearningtheinnerworkingsofthecourt,thementorshipand relationship with judges, and the net-workingopportunitieswithlawyersfromalloverthestate,clerkingalsoprovidestheop-portunitytoexponentiallyhoneyourwritingskills. “I considered myself a strong writerwhenIgraduatedfromlawschool,butfromthere it astronomically improved,”NHSu-premeCourtJuniorLawClerkAliGennarosaid. “Everyonewho clerks comes out theothersideasanexcellentwriter,whichisan

extremelyimportantpartoflegalpracticeinanyareaofthelaw.” For Gennaro, a recent graduate ofNortheasternUniversityinBoston,clerkingat theCourthasbeenhelpful ingivingherexposuretotheNHlegalsystem.“It’sgreatforsomeonelikeme–whowantedtoworkinNHbutwasinlawschoolinBoston–tohavetheopportunitytogettoknowthefulllegallandscapeofthestateIintendtoworkinbeforehavingtodecidewhereI’mgoingtogo.” Stephani RoundyKnights agreedwithGennarosaying,“alawclerkneedstocap-turethejudge’svoiceinallrespects.It’sthejudge’sworkproducts–wearejustfacilitat-ing and streamlining the judge’s consider-ationofthecase.” Most judges will actively encouragetheirclerkstoengageindebateoverthemer-itsandargumentsofcasesthatcomebeforetheircourt,shapingtheirperspectivethroughdialogue.According toAlexandra Schmitt,thelawclerk’sjobistoensurethatthejudgemakesthemostinformeddecisionpossible. “Sometimes this means having to tellthejudgesomethingtheydon’twanttohear–suchastheexistenceofcaselawcontrarytothejudge’sinitialthoughtsaboutacase,”Schmittsays.“Alawclerkmay,attimes,dis-agreewiththejudge’sfinaldecisionbutmuststill implement what the judge decides. Inshort,beingalawclerkrequirestheabilitytocommunicateanddisagreewithcivility.” Lawschoolstudentsareencouragedtoapply early, even during their second year.Theycantalkwiththeircareercounselortoget started and theycanevenbegin intern-ingatoneofthecourtswhilestillinschool.RecentlawschoolgraduatescancheckwithAlumni Services or go directly to the jobpostingsonthecourtwebsites.

y Clerks from page 1

Alexandra Schmitt, Senior Law Clerk, standing in the courtroom at the NH Supreme Court. Photo/Tom Jarvis

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By Lisa J. Bellanti and Nadine M. Catalfimo

IfyouthinkthatatrustamendmentmustbeinwritingtobevalidinNewHampshire,thinkagain! In itsfirstdecision interpret-ingNHRSA564-B:6-602,theNewHamp-shireSupremeCourthasrecentlyexplainedan alternate method for amending a trustagreementunderthisstatute,relyingonclearandconvincingevidenceand theGrantor’sintent. Yes,anexpressionof theGrantor’sintenttoamendhistrustagreement,evenifitisnotinwritingandsigned,maybeavalidtrustamendment! IntherecentdecisionofInReOmegaTrust, case number 2021-0138, datedMay12, 2022, the New Hampshire Supremecourt reversed and remanded a motion todismissgrantedbytheNewHampshire10thCircuitCourt.IntheOmegaTrustcase,theGrantor,MarkDouglas,wasillandinformedhistrustprotectorandhisestateplanningat-torney that he was sick and was planningtoamendhis trust. Healsosenthisestateplanningattorneyseveralemailsrequesting

additionstothesuccessorTrusteeprovisionsto his trust and sought to add several newbeneficiaries.ThetrusthadbeenpreviouslyamendedbyMr.Douglastwice.Mr.Doug-las’ estate planning attorney summarizedthechanges inanemailexchangewithMr.Douglas,whointurnreviewedthatsummaryandfurtherclarifiedhisfinaleditstohisat-torney through email. Unfortunately, Mr.Douglas passed awaybefore he could signthewrittentrustamendment.Oneofthenewbeneficiariesofthetrust,DavidJ.Apostol-off, petitioned the probate court to validatetheunsignednewtrustamendmentbywayoftheemailexchangesandthespecialTrusteeoftheOmegaTrustfiledamotiontodismissthatpetition.Thetrialcourtgrantedthemo-tion,basingitsdecisiononthehistoryofhowthetrustwasamendedinthepastandtheex-press language in the trust. The trial courtexplained that the trust document providedthata trustamendmentmustbesignedandthatthenoticerequirementmeanttheTrusteemust acknowledge receipt of the amend-ment.ThisappealensuedbyMr.Apostloff. In reversing the trial court’s decisiongranting the motion to dismiss, the NewHampshire Supreme Court explained thattheyfirstlooktothelanguageofthestatuteandconstrueitslanguagetoitsplainandor-dinarymeaning, citingHodges v. Johnson,173N.H.595,604(2020).Further,theylookto the Uniform Trust Code comments forfurtherinstructions.Id.UnderthetermsofNHRSA564-B:6-602,trustamendmentsaremade “by substantial compliance with thetermsofthetrust”or“byanyothermethodmanifesting clear and convincing evidence

ofthesettlor’sintentifthetermsofthetrustdonotprovideamethodordonotexpresslyprohibitmethodsprovidedinthetermsofthetrust.”RSA564-B:6-602(c)(1)-(2). The New Hampshire Supreme CourtheldthatthefactsaspledinthepetitionfiledbyMr.Apostloffwereinsubstantialcompli-ancewith the trust terms, even though thelanguageinthetrustregardingtrustamend-mentsprovidedthatanamendmentwastobeinwritinganddeliveredtotheTrustee.Ininterpreting RSA 564-B:6-602, the Courtlookedtothelanguageinthetrusttodeter-minewhetherthetrust“expresslyprohibitedmethodsotherthanprovidedunderthetrustterms,”asprovidedunderRSA564-B:6-602(c)(2). The New Hampshire Supreme CourtexplainedthatthecommentstotheUniformTrust Code “tries to effectuate the settlor’sintenttothemaximumextentpossible,”cit-ingtheUniformTrustCode§602cmt.at220(2018). Relying heavily on the Grantor’sintent,thecourtexplainedthatithonorsthegrantor’sintentevenifinconsistentwiththestated formalities of the trust’s terms, andthus, the Grantor may amend the trust, solongasthereisanothermethodmanifestingclearandconvincingevidenceofthegrant-or’sintent,andfurther,ifthelanguageunderthe trust terms regarding amendmentsdoesnotspecificallyandexclusivelyprohibitoth-ermethodsforamendingthetrust,openingthedoorforanalternativemodeofamendingatrustagreementby“anexpressionofintenttoamendbyemails.” In thiscase, the trustterms in the Omega Trust expressly statedthatatrustamendmentwastobeinsigned,in

writing,signed,anddeliveredtothetrustee;however,itdidnotspecificallyprohibitothermethodsofamendingthetrustinlightofthestatutorylanguageofNHRSA564-B:6-602(c)(2). ThetrusttermsregardinghowtoamendtheOmegaTrustwereacustomaryandstan-dard provision and can be found in mostNewHampshire trust agreements.Aswrit-ten, it does not specifically prohibit othermethodstoamendthetrusteventhoughitre-quiresthetrustamendmenttobeinwriting,signed,anddeliveredtotheTrustee.Assuch,itwouldfollowthatwecananticipatemoreprobatelitigationinNewHampshireasresultoftheOmegaTrustdecision,andNHRSA564-B:6-602(c)(2) regarding trust amend-ments,provided there isclearandconvinc-ingevidenceoftheGrantor’sintenttoamendanexistingtrust.Totheextentestateplanningattorneyswouldliketoprohibit“othermeth-ods”of amending the trustother thanbyawritingorasstatedunderthetermsofatrust,then every estate planning attorney shouldconsiderrevisinghisorherboilerplatepro-visions in their trustagreements. NHRSA564-B:6:602 (c)(2) of the NewHampshireTrustCodeisapplicabletoallexpresstrustsregardlessofwhentheywereestablished. Lisa J. Bellanti, Esq. is a probate litigator and focuses her practice on probate, estate planning, and litigation and can be reached at [email protected]. Nadine M. Catalfimo, Esq. is a trusts and estates at-torney and focuses her practice on probate and estate planning and can be reached at [email protected].

Beware Trust and Estate AttorneysAn Expression of Intent to Amend a Trust By Emails May Be a Trust Amendment Under The NH Trust Code!

Bellanti Catalfimo

$6 MILLIONDeath of transplant recipient from parasitic infection trans-mitted by donor organ Andrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas D. Cappiello_____________________

$5.75 MILLIONMaternal death after deliveryAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins_____________________

$4.8 MILLIONAnoxic brain injury after patient denied admission with cardiac tamponadeAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson_____________________

$3.9 MILLIONBirth injuryAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson_____________________

$3.6 MILLIONFailure to administer antico-agulation results in deathAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas D. Cappiello_____________________

$3.5 MILLIONFailure to diagnose epidural abscess leads to paralysisAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins_____________________

$2.95 MILLIONFailure to recognize fetal distress results in uterine rup-ture, maternal/fetal deathsAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Krysia J. Syska_____________________

$2.75 MILLIONDeath from peritonitis follow-ing hernia repairAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins_____________________

$2.5 MILLIONDeath from failure to diag-nose acute liver failureAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins_____________________

$2.45 MILLIONFailure to monitor vital signs during procedure results in deathAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins ____________________

$2.1 MILLIONFailure to properly manage airway post-operatively results in death*Andrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas D. Cappiello ____________________

$2 MILLIONImproper treatment of recur-rent bladder cancer results in deathAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Adam R. Satin ____________________

$2 MILLIONBrain injury to newbornAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins ____________________

$1.8 MILLIONDelay in diagnosis of prostate cancer*Andrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas .D. Cappiello ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONDelay in recognition of car-diopulmonary arrest results in brain damage and death of 9-month-old boyAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Krysia J. Syska_____________________

$1.5 MILLIONNecrotizing fasciitis after surgeryAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONDelay in diagnosis of gleason 9 prostate cancer leads to advanced diseaseAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Adam R. Satin ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONImproper antibiotic use leads to colitis and death of 9-year-old boyAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Adam R. Satin ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONMisdiagnosed stroke leads to deathAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONDeath of 19-day-old baby from birth injuryAndrew C. Meyer, Jr., and Robert M. Higgins ____________________

$1.5 MILLIONSpinal cord injury following epidural steroid injection for pain managementAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson ____________________

$1.25 MILLIONFailure to properly manage anticoagulation medication results in debilitating strokeAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Adam R. Satin_____________________

$1 MILLIONFailure to test for strep in mother leads to permanent neurologic injury in babyAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Krysia J. Syska_____________________

$1 MILLIONDelay in diagnosis and treatment of sepsis results in death of 76-year-old womanAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Adam R. Satin_____________________

$1 MILLIONDelay in diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma results in death of 72-year-old manAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Krysia J. Syska_____________________

$1 MILLIONMedication error leads to death of 90-year-old womanAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas D. Cappiello_____________________

$1 MILLIONFailure to diagnose a bowel perforation leads to deathAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Robert M. Higgins_____________________

$1 MILLIONDelayed diagnosis of rup-tured spleen after car crashAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and William J. Thompson_____________________

$1 MILLIONImproperly performed gallbladder surgery requiring reconstructive surgeryAndrew C. Meyer, Jr. and Nicholas D. Cappiello_____________________*Unpublished settlement

LUBIN & MEYER consistently obtains more multi-million dollar results in the areas of medical malpractice and per-sonal injury law than any other firm in the region. Despite the pandemic, Lubin & Meyer continues to deliver results, securing over 150 settlements totaling over $200,000,000.00 for its clients in New Hampshire, Massachu-setts and Rhode Island.

“No other law firm is better positioned and prepared to litigate complex and high-stakes medical malpractice and personal injury cases. The talent, expertise and integrity of the Lubin & Meyer team — combined with its record of results — places this firm alone at the top.” – Referring attorney

Million-Plus Verdicts and Settlements*

Year

20212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008

Total of Next Closest Firm

485858

126365598

* As published in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for years 2008- 2019; as submitted to LW for years 2020, 2021.

Lubin & Meyer pc100 City Hall Plaza, Boston (617) 720-4447Attorneys licensed in MA, NH and RI lubinandmeyer.com

Lubin & Meyer Total

2728463338385031292636212225

14th Consecutive Year as the Leader

MILLION+ SETTLEMENTS IN 2021THE PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE

Call for a free case evaluation or second opinion.Lubin & Meyer works on a referral fee basis.


FY 2022-2023 IOLTA GRANT AWARDSTotal Awarded: $775,000

Disability Rights Center- NH $48,000StephaniePatrick,ExecutiveDirectorUse of Funds: to support operating expenses

603 Legal Aid $210,000SonyaBellafant,ExecutiveDirectorUse of Funds: to support basic operational expenses.

NHBA Lawyer Referral Service - Modest Means $10,000

LynneSabean,DirectorofMarketing,Communications,andMemberOutreachUse of Funds: to support basic operational expenses.

NH Bar Foundation Law School Loan Assistance Program $60,000

Use of Funds: Loan forgiveness program for staff attorneys at four NH non-profit agencies.

New Hampshire Legal Assistance $447,000SarahMattsonDustin,ExecutiveDirectorUse of Funds: to support basic operational expenses.

TheNewHampshireBarFoundationispleasedtoannouncetheIOLTAProgramgrantawardsforFY2023.Thetotalawardamountgrantedthisyearis$775,000. IOLTAgrantawardsarefundedthroughinter-estreceivedonlawyers’pooledtrustaccounts.TheawardsaregrantedannuallytothefourlargestcivillegalaidorganizationsinNH,aswellastheNHBarFoundationLawSchoolLoanAssistanceProgram.Theseorganizationsrelyontheunrestrictedgrantfundstosupplementtheirgovernmentandprivategrantswhereneeded. In1982,NewHampshirewasthesecondstatetoestablishamandatoryIOLTAprogramthroughNHSupremeCourtRule50.Today,IOLTAprogramsexistineverystateintheUS,andthroughoutCan-ada.Thisyear,theNHIOLTAprogramcelebratesits40thanniversary,havinggrantedmorethan$36milliontoprovidefreeorreduced-feecivil legalservicestodisadvantagedresidents. WhilealmosteverybankoperatinginNHpar-ticipatesintheIOLTAprogram,weareespeciallyproudofourLeadershipBankpartners.Thesebankshavecommittedtokeepingtheirinterestratesabove1%,evenduringtherecentperiodofextremelylowinterestrates,andaccountformorethanfiftypercentofIOLTArevenue.YoucanseethelistofLeader-shipBanksonourwebsite,orintheadbelow.

The money earned from the IOLTA program helps tens of thousands of our most vulnerable NH citizens receive free or low cost civil legal services.

Interest on Lawyers trust accounts

IOLTADollars Make a Difference

Join a Leadership Bank Today

You have a choice at where you open an IOLTA account.

Leadership banks provide 1% interest or more.

NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR FOUNDATION

Strengthening Justice for All

2%

1.98%


In the News

Qualifying HouseholdIncomes Below

Household Size Yearly Income1 ≤27,1802 ≤ 36,6203 ≤ 46,0604 ≤ 55,500

FREE Criminal Record Annulment Clinics

Criminal records can be a barrier to housing, employment and higher education.Learn about the record annulment process at a free legal clinic and meet 1:1 with a volunteer attorney for advice about your New Hampshire criminal record situation.

Registration is required. Limited seats available. Apply at [email protected] or by calling 603-224-3333 ext. 262 Financial information is required for registration. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

Granite United Way

163 North Main Street Concord, NH (Former Courthouse)

Wednesday, June 22, 20224:30-7:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m. - Sign In4:45 p.m. - Overview of Annulment Process

5:15 p.m. - Individual Attorney Meetings Begin

Qualifying HouseholdIncomes Below

Household Size Yearly Income1 ≤27,1802 ≤ 36,6203 ≤ 46,0604 ≤ 55,500

FREE Criminal Record Annulment Clinics

Criminal records can be a barrier to housing, employment and higher education.Learn about the record annulment process at a free legal clinic and meet 1:1 with a volunteer attorney for advice about your New Hampshire criminal record situation.

Registration is required. Limited seats available. Apply at [email protected] or by calling 603-224-3333 ext. 262 Financial information is required for registration. Walk-ins will not be accepted.

Granite United Way

163 North Main Street Concord, NH (Former Courthouse)

Wednesday, June 22, 20224:30-7:30 p.m.

4:30 p.m. - Sign In4:45 p.m. - Overview of Annulment Process

5:15 p.m. - Individual Attorney Meetings Begin

Wednesday, June 22, 20224:30-7:30p.m.

163NorthMainStreet,Concord,NH(FormerCourthouse)

Thursday, July 21, 20225:00-7:00p.m.

Rivermill,Lebanon,NH

This program is funded by grants from Legal Services Corporation, NH Campaign for Legal Services, New Hampshire Bar Foundation and Granite United Way.

Fordetailsortovolunteer,emailJaniceRabchenukat [email protected].

Volunteer Attorneys Needed for

THANK YOU,BRECKIE

For your 25 years of service and all that you have done for New Hampshire.

As you (and Bart) move on, know that we aregrateful for your dedication, compassion, and

commitment to justice

TheNewHampshireWomen’sBarAs-sociation’sJulybookclubbook isBrave, Not Perfect: How Celebrating Imperfec-tion Helps You Live Your Best, Most Joy-ful Life,byReshmaSaujani.PleasecontactLyndsayRobinsonwithanyquestionsyoumayhave. As part of Law Day 2022, Pastori

Krans Attorney, Ashley Taylor, taught alesson about statutory interpretation andtheimportanceofclear,unambiguouslawsusingtheclassic“novehiclesinthepark”hypothetical to Miss Kosek’s 4th gradeclass at Captain Samuel DouglassAcad-emyinBrookline,NewHampshire.

Robert J. Kendall III has joinedHinckleyAllenasanassociateinHinckleyAllen’s construction and public contractsgroupinthefirm’sManchester,NHoffice.The hiring continues the firm’s strategicexpansioninSouthernNewHampshire. Shaheen & Gordon, P.A.’s growingcriminal defense practice group is proudtowelcomeAttorneyLaurenBreda.Bredabringsmorethanadecadeoflegalexperi-encetothefirm’sConcordoffice. Effective June1, 2022, theConcord-basedlawfirmofRath,Young&Pignatel-

li, P.C. (RYP) is pleased to announce theexpansionofitslawfirmwiththeadditionof four attorneys from the Manchester-based boutique law firm of HageHodes.Principal Jamie Hage and his colleagueswillbejoiningRYP’s30legalandgovern-mentrelationsprofessionals,whoarelead-ers in key sectors of the economywherebusinessandgovernmentintersect,includ-ing specialized practices in energy, tax,healthcare,medicalmalpractice,litigation,environment,financialinstitutions,andin-surance.

Community Notes

Coming & Going

Twenty-fourDanielWebsterSchol-arswere sworn in at a joint admissionceremonyheldinWhiteParkinConcordonMay20,2022. ChiefJusticeGordonJ.MacDonaldpresidedonbehalf of theNHSupremeCourt andMagistrate JudgeAndreaK.Johnstone represented theUSDistrictCourtfortheDistrictofNewHampshire. Weextendawarmwelcome to thefollowingnewadmits: ElizabethT.Blackhall, JenniferE.Cote,NicoleE.Demas,AmandaS.Du-puis,CoryD.N.Greenleaf,KayleeM.Howard,PaulJ.Kline,AnnaM.Lussier,JoshuaG.Marshall,CassandraA.Mo-ran,ShannonM.Mulholland,KavyasriNagumotu,ConnorJ.O’Neill,KaterinaC.Overberg,EmilyE.Peterson,LauraJ.Raymond,CassandraO.Rodgers,HollyN.Salois,JohnH.Sheehy,JamesE.Simp-son,Jr.,KathrynE.Taylor,MarkE.Wald-ner,EleanorM.Walker,andBenjaminL.Winer.

The following new admits weresworn-inatanNHBarExamceremonyattheNHSupremeCourtonMay24,2022: Ariana J. Baldasaro,Matthew L.Bartlett,ElizabethT.Eaton,WilliamA.Gaudino,andAndrewS.Offit.

The following new admits weresworn-inatanNHBarExamceremonyattheNHSupremeCourtonJune2,2022:

JulieE. Johnson,ChristopherD.Mor-row,DanielBurson,MichaelT. Har-ris,EliseK.St.Lawrence,KristopherB.DeLorme,LauraM.Gregory,AshleyM.Ahearn,RosalynB.Akalonu,WilliamC.Baker,NicholasJ.Blei,CharlesO.Bucca,JohnC.Burgess,SarahJ.Butson,JosephCalandrelli,ShirleyM.Carrington,AlisonJ.Carroll,ElizabethJ.Cavanaugh,SheilaChandonnet,AliciaM.Chouinard,JennaA.Connors,ColleenM.Court,SofiaE.Cristando,SaraG.Curley,JillianJ.Dah-rooge,NicholasJ.Danforth,CatherineA.Denny,RalphP.Detwiler,DavidDorf-man,Douglas M.Evans, JenniferZ.Flanagan, Samuel R. Fuller, BrianB.Garrett,MichaelK.Gillis,LaraC.Gilroy,CalebE.Ginsberg,EmmanuelGonzalexz,KavitaM.Goyal,NicholasS.Gray,Jen-niferM.Iarocci,KarenM.Iovaine,GaryS. Ishimoto, EmilyC.Kenyon, EmilyL.Kirby,BrianMichaelKiser,JesseB.LaFlamme,MadelineS.Lewis,BethanyA.Marshall,KaciK.M.McCorkell,Rob-ertJ.Mitchals,SeldonE.Nason,SeanP.Noonan,BrendanA.O’Neill,CodyS.Poe, Joseph I.Rogers,AmyB.Royal,KellieV. Scholefield,MicahA.Smart,LucasG.Spremulli,PaulL.Tetzel,AdamH.Thayer,KaraG.Thorvaldsen,MathewJ.Todaro,ElizaS.Walker, P.W.Ward,CatherineS.West,Anne-MarieWhelan,JaredM.Wimberly,DanielleW.Worboys.

NH Bar Admits New Members


29 Factory St. Nashua, NH 03060 (603)883-0797

www.lawyersnh.com

IsraeljoinedWelts,White&Fontaine,PCin2015followinghisgraduationfromBostonCollegeLawSchool.

Hispracticefocusesoncivillitigationinbothstateandfederalcourts,includingappealsandpersonalinjurylaw.

Anative ofNewHampshire, Israel is actively involved inthe community.He serves in theNewHampshireHouseofRepresentatives, on theBoardofGovernors of theNewHampshireAssociationforJustice,theBoardofTrusteesoftheManchesterCityLibrary,andtheNewHampshireSupremeCourt’sAccesstoJusticeCommission.

In2022,IsraelwasnamedtotheUnionLeader’s“FortyUnder40”list.

Israel F. Piedra elected Shareholder of the firm.

Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C.

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

603.224.2381 | orr-reno.com | Concord, NHSustained Excellence Since 1946

Orr & Renois Pleased to Welcome

Lynnette V. MacomberLynnette joins the firm’s litigation team where she will represent individuals, businesses, non-profits, and public entities in a range of civil litigation matters. Lynnette has represented clients at various stages of litigation and all levels of New Hampshire’s courts, as well as before the N.H. Commission for Human Rights and the Office of Professional Licensure.

Lynnette is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire School of Law where she was a member of the Daniel Webster Scholars Program.

AttorneyGarthCorriveaudedicatesmuchofhislegalpracticetobusinesslaw,estateplan-ning,andrealestatelaw.Heservesascounseltoentrepreneursandprivately-heldcompaniesinnumerousaspectsofbusinesslaw,includingstart-ups, corporate governance,mergers andacquisitions,business transactions,aswellasthedrafting, review, andnegotiationof com-mercialcontracts.Healsohasservedaslocalcounseltobusinessesneedingcompliancehelpwithfinancing, conveyance and zoning lawsandregulations.

Garth received hisB.A. in Political SciencefromMiddleburyCollegeandhisJurisDoctorandMasterofIntellectualPropertydegreesfrom

theUniversityofNewHampshire’sFranklinPierceSchoolofLaw.HeteachesMBAstudentsasanAdjunctProfessorofBusinessLawatSouthernNewHamp-shireUniversity.GarthcoachesyouthsoccerandlittleleaguebaseballinMan-chesterandservesontheBoardofTrusteesforTheMillFallsMontessoriPublicCharterSchool.GarthresidesinManchesterwithhiswifeandfourchildren.

CraigDeachman&Associates1662ElmStreet,Manchester,NH03101

603-665-9111•603-665-9090Fax•www.CDA-Law.com

isProudtoWelcomeK. Garth Corriveau, Esq.

FriedmanFeeney,PLLCisproudtoannounceitsnewPartner:

Naomi L. GetmanNaomibringsover25yearsof

insurancedefenseexperiencetoourpractice.Herfocusisontortdefense

andinsurancecoverage.

PleasejoinusinwelcomingNaomi!

(603)-736-7683•[email protected]


29 Factory St. Nashua, NH 03060 | (603)883-0797 | www.lawyersnh.com

Welts, White & Fontaine, P.C.ATTORNEYS AT LAW

ispleasedtoannouncethat

George A. Bakerhasjoinedthefirm

Attorney Baker will representclientsinrealestate,business,andestateplanningmatters.HecomestoWelts,White& Fontaine, PCaftermorethan20yearspracticingin theHartford,CT area.Georgehas extensive experience assistingboth individualsandbusinesses inavarietyofpracticeareas andhisbackground includes serving asa probate judge, planning boardmember,andadjunctprofessor.HelivesinBedford.


ispleasedtoannouncethat

Nicole Fontaine Dooleyhasjoinedthefirm

Attorney Fontaine Dooley willfocusherpracticeoncivillitigation,including intellectual propertyand commercial litigation, aswellas family law. She joins the firmafter spending several years atWilmerHale inBoston,where shewasalitigatorworkingoncomplexcommercialandintellectualpropertydisputes.Nicole is a summa cumlaude graduate ofBostonCollegeLawSchool. Shewas raised, andcontinues to reside, in theGreaterNashuaarea.


Boston • Concord • Manchester • Portsmouth • Upper Valley

s h e e h a n . c o m

Sheehan Phinney welcomes Kathleen OʼNeill Burgener and Eric T. Kilchenstein to the firm.

Welcome

Kathleen OʼNeill BurgenerOf [email protected]

Kathleen focuses on commercial real estate, advising clients on finance transactions, acquisitions and dispositions, and leasing matters. She has extensive experience representing for-profit and non-profit borrowers and lenders in acquisition, refinance, construction and mezzanine loans.

Real Estate Law

Eric T. KilchensteinOf [email protected]

Ericʼs practice includes commercial real estate, commercial finance and general corporate work across numerous industry sectors. He has diverse and extensive experience representing businesses of all sizes, non-profits, lending institutions and individuals. Eric currently serves as President of the New Hampshire Bar Associationʼs Real Estate Section.

Real Estate Law | Corporate Law

www.nhbar.org 14 JUNE 15, 2022 NEW HAMPSHIRE BAR NEWSNDD19401_Print_Superhero_SmallBiz_4.92x6.75_FINAL.indd 2NDD19401_Print_Superhero_SmallBiz_4.92x6.75_FINAL.indd 2 1/21/20 2:37 PM1/21/20 2:37 PM

2022 NHBA SUCCESSION PLANNING GUIDE (rev.) 1

SUCCESSION PLANNINGThe New Hampshire Bar Association Guide to

Plan ahead to protect your clients’ interests and ensure a smooth transition upon your retirement, death, or disability

REVISEDFOR 2022

Includes access to downloadable

forms

The New Hampshire Bar Association Guide to

SUCCESSION PLANNING

This Guide is intended to provide general guidance to attorneys as to steps to take to protect your clients’ interest, as well as preserve the assets of your practice. While situations will be different, the concept of having a plan in place that everyone knows about and agrees with is vital. We’ve also included several customizable forms to facilitate the process.

Revised Edition Now Available on the Member Portal!

PresentedtotheBoardofGovernorsApril21,2022 Active to INACTIVE:McCann,Ellen,Salem,NH(April4)Pluviose,Fritz,Wakefield,Mass.(March21)Roy,Lyndsay,Londonderry,NH(March16)Wendel,John,Worcester,Mass.(March18) Active to INACTIVE RETIRED: Dolcino,Chiara,Concord,NH(March26)Keeler,Dennis,Falmouth,ME(March30)Salafia,Paul,Concord,NH(March27) Active to FULL-TIME JUDICIAL: Smith,Jacki,Concord,NH(April7)Wolf,Karen,Portland,ME(April3) Active to RESIGNED: Bland,Zachary,NewYork,NY(February21) Inactive to ACTIVE: Domini,Karolyn,Needham,Mass.(March21)O’Shaughnessy,Audrey,Watertown,Mass.(March15) Inactive to INACTIVE RETIRED: deLeon,Nathaniel,Seymour,Conn.(April1)Franek,David,Riverforest,IL(April1)Merrigan,Sarah,Nashua,NH(March7) Inactive to RESIGNED: Robinson,Charlotte,Gloucestershire,UK(March23) Inactive to DECEASED: Maynard,Steven,Portsmouth,NH(April2) Suspended to ACTIVE: Munyon,Laura,Loudon,NH(March14)

Honorary Active to DECEASED: Cyr,John,Littleton,NH(March9) Honorary Active to HONORARY INACTIVE: Brown,Peter,Boston,MA(March23)DePuy,R.David,Candia,NH(April1) Honorary Inactive to DECEASED: DiClerico,Jr.,Joseph,Hon.,NewLondon,NH(April2)Hastings,Peter,Fryeburg,ME(March5) Honorary Active to DECEASED: Wheat,James,Hopkinton,NH(April6)

Presented to the Board of Governors May 19, 2022 Active to INACTIVE: Pedley,David,GreenwoodVillage,Colo.(April20)Gearreald,Mark,Dover,NH(April24)MacMillan,Douglas,Salem,NH(May2)Vautour,Alice,SouthWindsor,Conn.(May2)Stark,Andrea,Saco,Maine(May2)Thorlin,John,Alexandria,Va.(May5) Active to INACTIVE RETIRED: Moquin,Richard,Bedford,NH(April6)Cole,David,Grantham,NH(April17)Jacques,Martha,Hudson,Fla.(April15)Dial,Jr.,Edward,Goffstown,NH(April30)Bradshaw,Barbara,Durham,NH(May3) Active to FULL-TIME JUDICIAL: Elliott,Samantha,Concord,NH(May3) Active to RESIGNED: Marlin,Jeffrey,Wellesley,Mass.(April22)

Membership Status ChangesRossing,Margaret,Nashua,NH(May5)

Inactive to ACTIVE: Fahey,Todd,Bow,NH(April25)Braman,Nancy,Revere,Mass.(April25) Inactive to RESIGNED: Nutile,Maria,LasVegas,Nev.(April15)

Presented to the Board of Governors June 17, 2022 Active to INACTIVE: Boucher,Timothy,Deerfield,NH(May25)Conti,Joseph,Bow,NH(May10)DiPietro,Michael,Melrose,Mass.(May31)Harris,William,Haverhill,Mass.(May13)Holman,Jr.,Peter,Hanover,NH(May31)Johnson,Michael,Concord,NH(June1)Lindauer,Kenneth,Salem,Mass.(June1)McClenahan,Hayley,Colchester,Vt.(May31)McHugh,Jr.,John,Englewood,Fla.(May11)Ming,Benjamin,Hollis,NH(May31)Murray,III,Roger,Wolfeboro,NH(June1)Myers,Lauren,ForkedRiver,NJ(March29)Peterson,Richard,GrandRapids,Minn.(May31)Reynolds,Kathryn,Concord,NH(May23)Saunders,Morgan,SilverSpring,Mo.(May30)Sinclair,Janice,Bluffton,SC(June1)Stockwell,Craig,Orford,NH(May16)Swiecicki,Joshua,Wilmington,Mass.(May13)Tirrell,Richard,Framingham,Mass.(May31)Waugh,Jr.H.Bernard,Hanover,NH(May31) Active to INACTIVE RETIRED: Betley,Frederick,Hampton,NH(May31)Braiterman,David,Concord,NH(May31)


Charles P. Bauer(603) 545-3651

John B. Garvey(603) 513-5214

Melinda S. Gehris(603) 225-0477

Connie Rakowsky(603) 568-7138

Robert Morrill(603) 828-8564

* The National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals (www.NADN.org) is an invitation-only professional association of over 1000 litigator-rated mediators & arbitrators throughout the US and a proud partner of the AAJ and DRI. For more info, please visit www.NADN.org/about

New Hampshire’s Most Trusted Mediators & Arbitrators Online At

www.NHMediators.orgNew Hampshire’s Most Trusted Mediators & Arbitrators Online At

www.NHMediators.org

As approved by local members of the national plaintiff (AAJ) and defense (DRI) bar associations*

Fast Track Appointment Scheduling - visit our free Available Date Calendars Fast Track Appointment Scheduling - visit our free Available Date Calendars

As approved by local members of the national plaintiff (AAJ) and defense (DRI) bar associations*

Dennis Ducharme(603) 935-7292

Gregory S. Clayton(207) 706-4977

Peter Taylor(603) 436-0666

Greg Eaton(603) 225-0477

Brown,Michael,Warner,NH(May31)Currier,John,Leesburg,Va.(May16)Dewhirst,Robert,Weare,NH(May31)Glynn,John,WestLebanon,NH(May26)Helfer,L.Bradley,Wolfeboro,NH(May31)Holmes,Gregory,Goffstown,NH(May17)McKenna,Timothy,NorthHaverhill,NH(May20)Middleton,Alanna,WestChester,Pa.(May31)Nelluvely,Asish,EastRockaway,NH(May5)Scheer,Anne,Concord,NH(June1)Simon,Mitchell,Contoocook,NH(May31)VanOot,Martha,Orleans,Mass.(May30)Ward,Brien,Littleton,NH(May31)Watson,Thomas,Portsmouth,NH(May31)Williams,III,Finis,Concord,NH(June1) Active to HONORARY ACTIVE: Ahlgren,John,Portsmouth,NH(May31)Altieri,Jr.,John,Fairfield,Conn.(May31)Bentley,Michael,Keene,NH(May31)Bronstein,Peter,Salem,NH(May31)Carleton,Jr.,Joseph,Kittery,Maine(May31)Chamberlain,Michael,Manchester,NH(May31)Chapman,William,Concord,NH(May31)Colliander,John,Portsmouth,NH(May31)Dunnington,Jr.,Thomas,Dover,NH(May31)Eisner,John,Meredith,NH(May31)Felmly,Bruce,Manchester,NH(May31)Glahn,III,Wilbur,Manchester,NH(May31)Green,Douglas,Keene,NH(May31)Grossman,Jerome,Rochester,NH(May31)Kaye,Jeffrey,WestTisbury,Mass.(May31)Korbey,Hon.John,Salem,NH(May31)Michael,Gregory,Manchester,NH(May31)Niederman,Jay,Laconia,NH(May31)Osman,David,Laconia,NH(May31)Rath,Thomas,Concord,NH(May31)Robertson,Bernard,Newmarket,NH(May31)Roy,R.John,Hooksett,NH(May31)Taussig,Eric,Moultonboro,NH(May31)

Trimble,III,Henry,IndianRiverShores,Fla.(May31)Vitt,Geoffrey,Norwich,Vt.(May31)Work,Michael,Newport,NH(May31) Pro Bono Active to INACTIVE RETIRED: McLaughlin,Robert,Lincoln,NH(May31) Active to RESIGNED: Gromis,Marc,Elma,NY(March10) Inactive to ACTIVE: Armstrong,Keri,Woburn,Mass.(June3)Decker,Phillip,Holywood,Fla.(June3)Madison,Jared,Woburn,Mass.(June3)Noonan,Bryan,Pembroke,Mass.(June3)Prokhorov,Irina,Boston,Mass.(June1)Smith,Scott,Brooksville,Fla.(June3) Inactive to INACTIVE RETIRED: Dannis,James,Dalton,NH(May28)DeVito,Janet,Hopkinton,NH(May31)Hickok,Marshall,Meredith,NH(May23)Lamb,Scott,Hampton,NH(June1)Rich,Jean,Bow,NH(May20) Inactive to HONORARY INACTIVE: Anderson,James,EastLansing,Mich.(May31)Belanger,Donald,Concord,NH(May31)Carlson,Susan,Tucson,Ariz.(May31)Gregg,Judd,RyeBeach,NH(May31)Spencer,Richard,Portland,Maine(May31)Vercollone,Richard,Brewster,NY(May31) Inactive to FULL-TIME JUDICIAL: Cross,Philip,Concord,NH(Nov.16,2021) Inactive Retired to HONORARY INACTIVE: Berghaus,IV,V.Hummel,Deering,NH(May31)Blacklow,Richard,Edmonds,Wash.(May31)Boyer,Richard,Tucson,Ariz.(May31)

Broderick,Jr.,John,NorthAndover,Mass.(May31)Burlingame,Roger,GilmantonIronWorks,NH(May31)Burns,Donald,Bow,NH(May31)Cohen,Richard,OakBluffs,Mass.(May31)Davis,Martha,Windsor,Vt.(May31)Freund,Jr.,George,Swanzey,NH(May31)Garfunkel,Hon.David,Canterbury,NH((May31)Gaumont,Jr.,R.Robert,Merrimack,NH(May31)Gross,Robert,Washington,DC(May31)Haughey,Thomas,Sarasota,Fla.(May31)Hekimian,Frank,Salem,NH(May31)Hemeon,Robert,Laconia,NH(May31)Herrod,David,Exeter,NH(May31)Hood,James,Manchester,NH(May31)Jones,Daniel,Exeter,NH(May31)Kent,David,Plymouth,NH(May31)Moquin,Richard,Bedford,NH(May31)Russman,Richard,Kingston,NH(May31)Saxon,Donald,SaltLakeCity,Utah(May31)Schapira,Jeffry,Contoocook,NH(May31)Solomon,Steven,NewLondon,NH(May31)Stevens,Bryan,Boston,Mass.(May31)Weinstein,Barry,Manchester,NH(May31)Wolfe,Jr.,Bernard,Monroe,NH(May31) Inactive to RESIGNED: DeGrim,Frank,Westbrook,Maine(May31) Full-Time Judicial to PART-TIME JUDICIAL: Carbon,Susan,Manchester,NH(June1,2021)Cooper,Thomas,Concord,NH(June1) Suspended to ACTIVE: Willhite,Elizabeth,SouthRoyalton,Vt.(May13)


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Ted, Kaylee, Kristen,Melanie andOlivercongratulateRichard on his very successfulyearasPresidentoftheBar!

We are so proud of him for the hard and importantworkhedidasBarPresident.Throughouttheselast12months,wehavealsobeencontinuallyamazedtoseehowmany challenging court-appointed cases he hastakenoninStateandFederalcourt,andhowmuchotherpublicserviceworkhehascontinuedtoperform,despitehisresponsibilitiestotheBarandhismanyretainedclients.Richardneverceasestoamazeuswithhisworkethicanddedicationtohisclients.

PublicserviceisRichard’sbrand.Heis,afterall,theonlylawyerinNHtohavebeengiventhehonorofChampionofJusticebytheNHAssociationofCriminalDefenseLawyers(2005),ANDtohavebeengiventhissamehonor,ChampionofJustice,inanotherState,Louisiana,in1992!

AnyonewhoknowsRichardwillknowthatthereisnopossibilitythathewouldhaveapprovedthisAd.Self-promotionisnothisbrand.

Sowedecidednottoaskhimfirst…butwehadtodoit,becauseRichardisalsoOURChampionofJustice.

RichardGuerriero

Whenshereturned,shetookamuse-umstudiescoursehersenioryearand“re-allyenjoyedit”beforepursuingamaster’sdegree in history and museum studies atUNH. Shethenspent10yearsasamuseumcurator and consultant, first curating thecontents of twohouses ownedby the Ip-swichHistoricalSociety,andlaterjoiningacolleaguetoofferconsultingservicestomuseumsandotherartvenuesthatcouldn’taffordfull-timestaffbutneededhelpwiththingsliketeachingvolunteershowtocat-alogitems. ButsomethingtroubledNelsonaboutsomeof the interactions.She found therewas “a lot of misunderstanding” in theartworldaboutsuchthingsasownership,copyright, deeds of gift, and licenses. “Istarted considering law school becauseclearlythisfieldneedshelp,”sheremem-bersthinking. So shewent back toUNH, this timetothelawschool,earningherJurisDoctorinanewprograminartandmuseumlaw.There, she became amentee to a couple,Peter andKateMcGovern,whoweread-junctprofessorsinsuchnicheareasasartlaw, music law, and theater law. “All ofa sudden itwas like I foundmypeople,”Nelsonsays. Kate has since died, but Nelson hasstayedintouchwithPeterMcGovern,whocallsher“amodelyoungpractitioner.” “Shewas verywell respected by thepeople at the school and got along wellwith everybody,” he adds. “I think she’sgoing togo tohighplaces in thepracticebecauseshehasthatattitudeandsheworkshardandshe’sveryspecificaboutwhatshe

does,andthosearetraitsthatleadtosuc-cess.” Upongraduation,Nelsonhungouthershinglealmostimmediatelyandhasbeenaone-womanshopeversince. Her clients “are looking for a widerangeofthings–contractlicensing,com-missionagreementsorthey’vebeengivensomethingand theywantme to review itbeforetheysignit,”shesays.“Mygoalistomakesureyoudon’thavetogotocourt,apologiestomylitigatorfriends.” Part of herwork is also educational,andtheArtiumAmorewebsiteincludesin-formationandlinkstoarticlesonsuchtop-icsastheNativeAmericanGravesProtec-tion andRepatriationAct,which requiresinstitutions receiving federal funds to in-ventorytheircollectionstoseeif theyin-cludeanyNativeAmericanremainsorfu-neralobjectsandreturnthemtothepropertribe,andhowUkraine’sculturalheritageisinperilbecauseofthewar. Her service has won the admiration

of fellow New Hampshire attorney JohnCunningham, principal author of “Draft-ingLimitedLiabilityCompanyOperatingAgreements,FifthEdition,”whichNelsonco-wrote. “IthinkAmandaNelsonisoneofthenicest and smartest people I know,” saysCunningham,whohasknownherforaboutsixyears.“Iworkwithheralotondifficultissues I’m dealing with involving LLCsand client relationships and she’s awon-derful listener, probably the best listenerI’ve ever known… I just can’t speak toohighlyofher.” Nelson’s lifelong love of history isreflected in someofhernon-workactivi-ties,includingservingasaboardmemberand president of theWeeks Brick Houseand Gardens, a historic house in Green-land,NewHampshire.Thesiteincludesacolonialhousewivesgarden,andwhenthegardener left shortly after Nelson gradu-atedfromlawschool,shetookoverthere-sponsibilityofrunningit.“Itwasquitethelearningcurve,”shesays.“Learningaboutplantslikeborage.Istilldoit.It’sgoodex-ercise,there’sfreshairanditappealstothehistorianinme.”

She is also a member of the DoverArtsCommission,andaboardmemberoftheWoodmanMuseumofDover,Arts4NH

and Red Arch Cultural Heritage Law &Policy Research, a nonprofit that focuseson“protectionandpreservationofculturalheritageandantiquitieswithagoaltostopthe black market and repatriate artifactsthathavebeenlootedinwartime,”Nelsonsays. Nelson lives in Dover with her petguinea pig, Pyewacket, a name whichcomesfroma17thCenturywitchfinders’journal, inwhich an accusedwitch listedher“familiars,”oranimalsthoughttohavemagicalpowers.OneofthenameswasPy-ewacket,“andmymother,who’salsoahis-torian,thoughtitwouldmakeagreatnameforaguineapig,”shesays. Despite her effervescent personality,Nelson thinksmany fellowBarmembersmight be surprised to learn she considersherself“an incredible introvert,”which iswhy quiet curatorial work suited her formanyyears. Still,sheloveswhatshedoesnow,shesays. “I hope I’m getting awareness outtherethatthereisthisareaofthelawandthere are lawyerswhodo this,” she says.“Mygoalistomakesureeverythingisinplacesoyoudon’tgetintotrouble.”

y Nelson from page 1

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for even one day between June 1 - May 31

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The NHBA and NHMCLE Boards are required to report to the New Hampshire Supreme Court the name of any attorney who has not completed all annual licensing renewal requirements

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clientsandwe’dbattleitout,”hesays.“Wedidn’thavethismediation.We’dallbetalk-ingaboutthecase,andalotofcasessettledbetween the preview statement and sittingdownandstarting the trial.Thathasdisap-pearednow.” OneofthememorablecasesMiddletonlitigatedwasthe“licenseplatecase,”orMay-nard v. Wooley,inthelate1970s. “ThestateofNewHampshire,initswis-dom,passedastatutethatsaidlicenseplateswillcontainthewords‘LiveFreeorDie’andIrepresentedagentlemanbynameofMay-nardwho said hewasn’t comfortablewiththatbecauseitviolatedhisreligiousbeliefs,”Middletonsays. GeorgeMaynard,aJehovah’sWitness,objected to the state motto on his licenseplateforreligiousreasonsbyaffixingapieceof red tape over it. For this action, hewascitedmultipletimes.Thefirsttime,ajudgefinedhim$25.Thesecondtime,ajudgecitedhimfora$50fineand,afterMaynardrefusedtopayeitherfine,sentencedhimto15daysinjail.Hewasthencitedathirdtime. “BeforeIgotinvolved,[Maynard]hadspent15daysinjailformaskingthewordsonhislicenseplate.Somekidshadtornthetapeoffand then [Maynard]cut itoffwithshears,” Middleton says. “Every time hedroveintoLittletonthecopswouldpullhimover.” The Maynards subsequently filed afederal lawsuit that sought a declaratoryjudgment that theNewHampshire schemeviolatedtheFirstAmendment.Athree-judgeFederal District Court entered an order,whichprohibitedthestatefrompunishingtheMaynards. “ThecasewastriedinFederalDistrictCourtinConcordandtheChiefJudgeoftheCourtofAppeals,JudgeCoffin,fortunatelyfoundinourfavor,”Middletonsays. ThestateofNHappealeddirectlytoUSSupremeCourt,but theCourt found that itwasaclassiccaseofcompelledspeechandtothisdaypeoplearenotrequiredbylawtodisplaythestatemotto. Middleton,whocontinuestoworkwithclients today,wasinstrumental inestablish-ing the Interest on LawyersTrustAccountprogram that has enabled the NewHamp-shireBarFoundationtoprovidetensofmil-lionsinfundingforcivillegalservicesforthepoorandforeducationabout the legalsys-tem. Andhestillgetsoutinthemountainsasmuchashecanwhenhe’snotintheoffice. “I really enjoy the practice of law be-causeIlikepeopleandtheissuesarealways

challenging; that’s why I still come to theoffice,”hesays,reflectingonhiscareerandthe changes he has experienced over time.“Thepeopleyou’regoing togo talk toareold friendsofmineand theBarwasmuchsmallerwhenIfirststarted.Yougottoknowpeople.” OneofthoseoldfriendswasH.Alfred“Al”Casassa,whowasadmittedtotheBartwoyearsafterMiddleton,in1958.

H. Alfred “Al” Casassa

Casassa spent his first two years as alawyer with the Internal Revenue ServiceasaFederalandStatetaxattorney.InSep-temberof1960,heopenedhisofficeatthesamelocationwherewesatforaninterviewatCasassaLawonMainStreetinHampton. Overtheyears,Casassahasworkedwithanumberofattorneys,includingJohnRyanand Joseph Mulhern, and today he worksalongsidePeterSari,LisaBellanti, andhissonBobCasassa,whosesonMatthewisanattorneywithFoleyHoaginBoston. “That’sthreegenerationsandI’mquiteproudofthat,”Casassasays. At91,Casassahasn’tventuredfarfromhome—indeed, he’s in the same buildingwherehebeganmorethan60yearsago,at-tachedtowherehisparents’storewas—andhiscommitmenttoHamptonandthepeoplelivingtherehasshownthroughouttheyearswithhisworkasalawyerandinhiscommu-nityservice. Hehasservedasamemberandchair-manof theHamptonplanningboard; townmoderator for 20 years; director and vicechairman of the Board and legal counselfor the formerHamptonCooperativeBank(nowTDBank);directorofHamptonBeachChamberofCommerce,tonamejustafewofhisrolesinthecommunity. In 2018, Casassa received the New

HampshireBarAssociation’sVickieBunnellaward.Institutedin1998,theawardhonorsthememoryofVickieM.Bunnell,“ACoun-tryLawyer.”The award is presented to anattorney froma smallfirmwhohasexhib-iteddedicationanddevotion tocommunitybygivingoftheirtimeandtalents,legalorotherwise. Casassa’s choice to become an attor-neyhas its roots in thecommunity thathehas continued to serve throughouthis longcareerandinhisparents’store,ColtNews,where he grew to make connections withpeopleinhiscommunity.Itwasalsoshapedbyoneofhisneighbors,JohnPerkins,thefa-therofachildhoodfriendwholivedonDear-bornAvenueinHamptonwherehegrewup.Perkinswasawell-knownattorneyinExeterandJudgeinHampton,andCasassasayshelookeduptohimfromaveryearlyage. “I’vealwaysbeenveryinterestedinthecommunityfromanearlyagegrowingupinthestore,”hesays. WhenCasassabeganasanattorney,thetownofHamptonwasadrytown,andama-jorportionofthebeachwasleasedtoacom-pany called the Hampton Beach Improve-mentCompanyaspartofa99-yearleasefor$100peryear. In 1983, serving as town moderator,Casassaappointedacommitteetostudythequestion of leased land and asked them toreportontheirfindings.Asaresultoftheirreport,awarrantarticleattownmeetingwasvotedontosellthelandtothelessees. “Alloftheland,insteadofbeingleasedtoindividualsortheimprovementcompanywasthensoldandthetowngotmillionsofdollarsforit,butitwassoldat30percentofthethenfairmarketvalue,”Casassasays.“Itwasmorethanfairtothelessees.” Today,Casassaiscomfortabletakingoncasesrangingfromestateplanning,probate,andrealestateconveyance,aswellaspro-vidingbusinessadvicetoclientsandfriends.Hehastailoredhispracticesothathenolon-gerhasacourt calendarandsayshehasa“marvelousstaff.” “Here I am.This ismy situation. I’m

partially hearing impaired and not fit forcourt,”hesays.“IhaveadeskpracticeandIbringalotofinstitutionalknowledgeaboutthecommunityandthepractice,andIhavethree generations of clients. I’ve beenveryblessed. Jack will tell you the same, I’msure.”

Robert B. Welts

TheyearbeforeCasassawasadmittedtotheBarinNewHampshire,RobertB.“Bob”Welts,whowillturn89inJune,wasstartingworkasanattorneyinNashua.Welts,whoiswellknowninNashua,hasputinmanyhoursasanattorney,atennisplayer,andasarun-ner. “Iwentoutfortrackinthetenthgradeand I was a little pip squeak,” he says. “Iprobablywent into lawschool atfive-foot-one.” Welts,who is fromMiltonMassachu-setts, graduated from Boston College LawSchoolin1957,attendinglawschoolalong-side his father, an adminstrator theFederalMilkMarketAssociationinBoston. “Iwasproudofhim,”Weltssays,recall-ingthathisfatherdrovetothelawschoolaf-terworkintheeveningsandfinishedinfouryears. Welts recallshearinga lectureasase-nior in law school by ProfessorMoynihanthatinfluencedhisdecisiontomovetoNash-ua,wherehehasbeenpracticinglawforover60years. “Hesaid,‘youDorchesterboys,allyouthink about is graduating and practicing inBoston.ButIsaytoyou,gowest.’” Soon after hearing this,Welts encoun-tered a notice at the law school that Ken-neth McLaughlin, later Associate JusticeMcLaughlin of the Nashua District Court,waslookingforanotherattorney. “My senior year I would come up onSaturdays and work for him,”Welts says.“EventuallyItooktwoexams10daysapart.

y Attorneys from page 1

Jack Middleton, center, circa 1974 at a teachers labor hearing for the Timberlane school strike in Rockingham County over teacher decertification and firings. Middleton represented those in the teacher’s union. Louis Soule, far right, represented the district.

Al Casassa, standing next to his friend’s Ford convertable on a street near Hampton Beach (north shore), circa 1951.


Ihadn’tstudiedbutIpassedtheNewHamp-shireand theMassachusettsBarwithin tendaysofeachother.” Mandatory service existed at that timefollowingtheKoreanwar,andWeltsjoinedtheNewHampshireNationalGuard.HavingpassedhisBar examsonlydaysbefore,heleftforbasictraininginSanAntonioforsixmonthsflyingoutofthenGrenierAirportinManchester. Upon returning, he began a career inNashua practicing law, mostly land-use,estate, and probate. In 1977,Welts boughtoffice space that opened when Blakes res-taurantonmainstreetinNashuaclosedandin1980hemetJackWhite,whobecameapartnerinwhathasbecomeWelts,WhiteandFontaine. “InNashua, itwasmostly solo practi-tionersthen.Ithinktherewere39attorneysaltogetherinthetown,”hesays.“Itgrewoutofnothing.” Throughouthislife,Weltshasdonealotofrunning.Inhisseventies,hecompetedinover65raceseachyearacrossthestateandhe rana5k in starting indowntownHollisjustthismonth. Histhreeeventswereprimarilythe5k,the10k,andthe1500,andforfiveyearshefinishedinthetopthree,whichqualifiedhimforthenationalsincitiesacrossthecountry. Asourtimetogethercametoanend,herecalled working with Kathy Powers, whobecame his legal assistant for nearly fiftyyears.Powersdiedfollowingaskiingacci-dentatWatervilleValley. “ShehadthefastestandbestshorthandI’d ever seen in a person,”Welts says, ex-plaining the two became friends when heandhiswifehada sonandboughtaplaceatWatervilleValleywherePowersbecamea“beautiful”skier.“Forfiftyyears,shetookallofmynotesandalwaysknewwhattodo.” Welts, who was widowed in his mid-seventies,hasasonandtwograndchildren,whohecontinues tospendtimewithwhen

he’s not attendingCLEs or helping clientsandfriendswithlegalissues.

Victor W. Dahar, Sr.

VictorDaharcomesoffasapragmaticmanwithagoodsenseofhumoranda lotofgratitude.Whenaskedwhatadvicehehasforyoungerattorneystomaintainhealthandwellnesshesaid: “Oh,Idon’tknow.Getanannualphysi-cal.Goseeadoctorwhenyou’renot feel-inggood,andkeepyourfingerscrossed.I’vebeenlucky,”hesays,addingthathestillgetsupearlytogetintowork.“I’m92yearsold,butI’minhereeverydayearlyinthemorn-inguntil4or5o’clock.Iusedtocomeinat6a.m.andnowit’s7:30.Pointis,whenyougetinthehabitofgettingupearlyyoucan’tbreakthathabit.” Daharhasbeeninhisofficeon20Mer-rimack St. in downtown Manchester for35 years. Of his four children—two sonsand two daughters—three became lawyersandworkwithhimtoday,whileoneofhisdaughtersworksforAthenahealthinBoston. “IencouragedmydaughtersandsonstogotolawschoolandnowIhavethepleasureofseeingthemeverydayoftheweekwhenIgotowork,”hesays.“Alotofpeopleseegoingtoworkassomethingtheyhavetodo.Wegotoworkbecauseweenjoyit.” After attending Boston College LawSchool,Dahar passed the bar in 1958 andwent to work doing primarily bankruptcycases.“At that time, therewere15people,I think,whopassed theBarand I recall in1958thetotalmembershipwasaround600lawyersforthewholestate.Today,it’scloserto8,000.” Dahar’s weekly income in 1960 wasroughly$100perweek,herecalled,adding,“You could go to lunch for a dollar and aquarterandhavethebestlunchintheworld.” “Andeveryonekneweveryone.Thoserelationships don’t exist as much. Fellow

membersarechasingthedollars.” Inthelate1950s,DaharmetJoeBent-ley,abankruptcyrefereewhosuggestedherentanofficefromhim.Inthosedays,bank-ruptcycaseswerenothandledbyjudges,heexplained. “From that time on, I’ve been sittingheredoingthesamething,”Daharsays.“Asamatteroffact,bybeinginJoeBentley’sof-fice,Iwasappointedthechapterseventrust-eeandI’vebeenthechapterseventrusteeforthelast60years. Thereward,evenatthisage,isgettingalotofpeopleovertheyearslettingmeknowhow happy they are with the work we’vedoneforthem.”

George W. Walker

While many people retire around age65,thiswasn’tthecaseforGeorgeW.Walk-er. Barred in 1954,Walker is the longest-practicingattorneyinthestate. Oneoffivechildren,WalkergrewupinNewton and Concord, Massachusetts, andlater Durham, New Hampshire, where helivedonhisparent’sfarm. After graduating from Dover HighSchool,heattendedUNH,wherehestudiedliberalarts.But“study”maynotbethebestwordtouse.Afterhisfirstyear,heflunkedoutofschoolandwenttoworkatashoefac-tory. “At the end of freshman year,when Iwas‘invitednottocomeback,’IwentovertoClaremonttoworkatashoemanufactur-ingcompany,”hesays.“Thatencouragedmetogetbacktoschool.” Walkermade the dean’s list each yearafterhisfreshmanyearandeventuallywentontostudylawatNortheasternforoneyear,andthenBostonUniversity,wherehemadelawreviewandgraduatedCumLaudeinhisfinaltwoyears. Askedwhyhechoselawschool,Walk-ersayshewas“shuntedintoitbyafriend”studyinglawatBostonCollegewhileheat-tendedUNH. His first year at Northeastern LawSchoolwasasuccessbutWalker,whowasworkingasashortordercookatMcManis’srestaurantatthetime,foundBostonUniver-sitytobeabetterfit. After graduating with his J.D. fromBostonUniversity,Walker went to LibertyMutual in Boston, where he worked for ayear before fulfilling his draft commitmentinCharlotesville,N.C.WhileintheArmyheappliedforacommissionintheJAGCore,wasacceptedintheinfantryofficerstrainingschool, JAG school, and received his stu-dent’spilotslicenseontheside. FromCharlottesvillehewasassignedtoasmallofficeinPariswhereheservedasaliaisonwiththeFrenchArmy,filingdamageclaims.Healsowasmarriedwhilethere. Upon returning to the United States,WalkermadehiswaytoWolfeboroafteratipfromalawschoolfriendaboutapossiblejobwithJimCalan. StillintheArmy,andlivingathiswife’sbrother’shouseinMelrose,Walkerremem-bersthinking,“Wolfeboro?”withsomeskep-ticism. “But itwasan idyllicvillage, and Jimwasascholar.Hisofficehadalotofbookcas-es,andknottypinepaneling,andcarpeting,”Walkerrecalled.“NotonlydidhehavealloftheNHReports,hehadallSupremeCourtdecisionsandFederalFirstDistrictCourtde-cisions.AsgoodasI’dseenininManchesterorBoston.HeemployedmeandIwentbacktoVirginiaandsubmittedmyresignation.” After commuting for years betweenWolfeboroandRochester,whereheworkedforDickCooperandFredHall,heeventu-allymovedtotheplaceheisattoday,wherehehaspracticedinvariousareasoflaw.Hesayscriminaldefenseworkwashisfavorite,

referring to itas“agamebetweenyouandtheprosecutor.” “Yourjobasadefenseattorneyistoseethatyourclienthasalltheconstitutionalpro-tectionsandthattheStateprovestheircasebeyondareasonabledoubt.” Walker says there weren’t many ne-gotiatedpleas inhisearlydaysand thatheenjoyedgoingtotrial.Buttheroleswerere-versedwhenhewaselectedcountyattorney. “I became the prosecutor, and I wastoldbypresidingjusticesthattheywouldal-lotme twoweeksof jury timeeach term,”hesays.“I’dhave25casesorso.TheJudgewouldsayyouneedtopickguiltypleasbyagreement.Iwouldselectthebestchancesofprovingguiltearlyonthatwouldencouragedefenseattorneystomakeadeal.” Hespentthreeyearsatthecountyattor-ney’soffice,whichwasapart-timejob,andthenfocusedonhisownpractice,represent-ing clients with property disputes over taxliensandavarietyofothermatters. Manyofhisclientstodayareintergen-erational. “Istillhaveclientswhoneedmyhelp,andIkeepbusy,”hesays,recallingthefor-mationofatrustthathasprogressedintothefourthgenerationwithover125people. When he’s not in the office, Walkerspends time tending to his vegetable gar-den, splitting wood, stacking hay, seeinghis daughters and grandchildren, and untilrecently, taking care of his horses.He alsoenjoyed playing competitive tennis at theWolfeborocountryclubuntilhewas87andashoulderinjuryforcedhimtostopplaying. “Ifind it a littledisconcerting to thinkaboutwhat I’d be doing if Iweren’t com-ingin,”hesays,addingthathe’scutbacktoworkingthreedaysaweek.“Ilookforwardtocomingintotheoffice.I’mgoodatwhatI do and I’m a competitive person. That’swhyIdidsomuchtrialwork.I’maproblemsolverandIliketofeeluseful.”

George Walker, December 1983.

Victor Dahar in his office in Manchester, circa late 1980s.


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Ethics Opinion

RULE REFERENCES: Rule 1.14 (Client With Diminished Capacity) Rule 1.6 (Confidentiality of Informa-tion)

ISSUE PRESENTED: Can anAttorneyDiscloseConfiden-tial Client Information, Over a Client’sObjection, toProtect theClient fromEl-derAbuseorOtherThreatsofSubstantialBodilyInjury?1

Factual Background: Lawyersrepresentingtheelderlyfre-quently encounter problems that requiremorethanpurelylegalsolutions,andthatare better handledwith the assistance ofspecialists from other fields. While thiscan happen with clients of all ages, theelderly clientwill frequently suffer frommental impairments such as depression,dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Themedicalproblemsandlossofmentalacu-ity that can accompanyold age also canundermine the client’s ability to workwith his or her attorney to assess situa-tions andmake decisions that are in theclient’sownbestinterests. Inadditiontothenaturalprocessesofdeteriorationthatwilloccuratsomepointintheagingprocess,elderabuseisanin-creasinglywell-documentedphenomenon

inthelivesofolderpeoplefromalldemo-graphicandeconomicbackgrounds.2TheNationalCenteronElderAbuse(NationalCenter)3definesseveralcategoriesofel-der abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse,psychological abuse, financial exploita-tion, caretaker neglect, self-neglect, andabandonment.4Abusedeldersexperiencepoorer health and shorter life expectan-ciesthanthosewhoarenotvictimized.Inextremecasesofneglect,self-neglectandabandonment,fatalillnessescanresult. TheNationalCenteralsoreportsthat“in almost 90percent of the elder abuseand neglect incidentswith a knownper-petrator,theperpetratorisafamilymem-ber,andtwo-thirdsoftheperpetratorsareadultchildrenorspouses.”5Whenfamilymembers are involved, victims are fre-quentlyreluctant todisclosetheproblemorseekhelpfromthirdpartiesoutsideoftheattorney-client relationship.Theyarenotpreparedtosubjectthemselvesortheirfamiliestothehumiliationandlossofpri-vacy that outside attention might bring.Theyarealsoafraidtofacetheunknownconsequences that can stem fromdisclo-suretothirdparties,whichcouldincludeplacementinnursinghomes,separationofcouples and general loss of control overthefinalyearsoftheirlives. Medical and mental health profes-sionals,socialworkersandgeriatriccaremanagers are better qualified than mostlawyers to recognize and assess the sig-

nificanceofadversephysicalandmentalconditions—includinginjurioushomeen-vironments—thatoldagecanbring.Theywill also typically be better informed ofthe rangeof resourcesand treatmentop-tions that are available. Elder law attor-neysrecognizetheirlimitations,andwilllookforopportunities,withtheinformedconsent of their clients, to accessmulti-disciplinary services for elderly clients.6 In cases of family-based elder abuse,however,theclientwillfrequentlyobjecttothedisclosureofinformationnecessaryto secure assistance fromparties outsideoftheattorney-clientrelationship. Thisleadstotheethicalquestionun-derlyingthisopinion:whetheranattorneycan disclose confidential client informa-tion,overtheclient’sobjection,tosecureassistance for a clientwho is threatenedbyongoingelderabuseorotherformsofsubstantialbodilyinjury.

Analysis Under Rule of Professional Con-duct 1.14 (Client with Diminished Capac-ity) In some cases—although certainlynot always—a client who refuses to au-thorize the disclosure of confidential in-formationevenwhendisclosureisneces-sary to protect the client from abuse bya third party may be manifesting a “di-minishedcapacity” toappreciate the fullsignificanceofthethreatsheorshefaces;ortorenderwell-considereddecisionsre-

gardingthebestcoursetofollow. Iftheclientisactingwithdiminishedcapacity,Rule1.14modifiessomeoftheethical rules applicable to the attorney-clientrelationshipsoastogivetheattor-neygreaterlatitudethanmightotherwisebethecasetoprotect theinterestsof theclient.Thesemodificationsinclude,undercertain circumstances, relaxation of therigorous duty of confidentiality an attor-neytraditionallyowestohisorherclient. New Hampshire’s Diminished Ca-pacityruleissetforthbelow:

Rule 1.14: Client with Diminished Capacity a) When a client’s capacity tomakeadequatelyconsidereddecisionsinconnectionwitharepresentationisdiminished, whether because of mi-nority,mental impairmentorforsomeother reason, the lawyer shall, as faras reasonably possible, maintain anormalclient-lawyerrelationshipwiththeclient. b) When the lawyer reasonablybelievesthattheclienthasdiminishedcapacity,is at risk of substantial physi-cal, financial or other harm unless ac-tion is taken andcannotadequatelyactintheclient’sowninterest,thelawyermaytakereasonablynecessaryprotec-tiveaction, includingconsultingwith

NEWHAMPSHIREBARASSOCIATIONETHICSCOMMITTEEOPINION#2014-15/5The Lawyer’s Authority to Disclose Confidential Client Information to

Protect a Client from Elder Abuse or Other Threats of Substantial Bodily Harm

ETHICS continued on page 24

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General’s Office, ConcordTerry M. Knowles, University of New Hampshire, Carsey School of Public Policy,

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FacultyCorey M. Belobrow, Program Chair, Friedman Feeney, PLLC (of counsel),

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“Please. Do Not Touch That!” And Two More Lessons from the World of Museum Law

Thursday, June 30, 2022 – 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. • 90 NHMCLE min.

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Amanda L. Nelson, Program Chair, Artium Amore, PLLC, DoverRicardo A. St. Hilaire, Lebanon

Pets in the Workplace – an Employment Law Learn@Lunch

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This Learn@Lunch program will review the employment laws that employers must consider when an employee requests the right to bring a pet into the workplace, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. The presenters will also discuss the written policies and other documents an employer may wish to put in place when it allows an animal into the workplace.

Margaret O’Brien, McLane Middleton Professional Association, ManchesterElizabeth A. Bailey, Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green, PA, Manchester

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June 21 180 NHMCLE min. In person

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NHBA Seminar Room, Concord


individuals or entities that have theabilitytotakeactiontoprotectthecli-entand,inappropriatecases,seekingthe appointment of a guardian ad li-tem,conservatororguardian. c)Informationrelatingtotherepre-sentation of a clientwith diminishedcapacity is protected by Rule 1.6.When takingprotectiveactionpursu-anttoparagraph(b),thelawyerisim-pliedly authorized under Rule 1.6(a)torevealinformationabouttheclient,butonlytotheextentreasonablynec-essarytoprotecttheclient’sinterests.(Emphasisadded).

NewHampshire’srulesdonotdefine“diminished capacity,” nor do the ABAModel Rules of Professional Conduct.However, “(w)hen a diminished capac-ity results from mental impairment, thelawyer must make an assessment of theclient’s mental capacity”, Rotunda andDzienkowski,Legal Ethics: The Lawyer’s Deskbook on Professional Responsibility,Section1.14-1atpp.657-658;andCom-ment6toABAModelRule1.14identifiesfactorsthatwillbeimportantinanassess-mentofdiminishedcapacity:In determining the extent of the cli-ent’sdiminishedcapacity,thelawyershould consider and balance suchfactors as: the client’s ability to ar-ticulate reasoning leading to a deci-sion;variabilityofstateofmindandabilitytoappreciateconsequencesofa decision; and the consistency of adecision with the known long-termcommitments and values of the cli-ent.Inappropriatecircumstances,thelawyer may seek guidance from an

appropriatediagnostician. If, throughconsiderationof theseorother factors, the lawyer concludes thathisorherclienthasdiminishedcapacity,itisclearthatRule1.14relaxesanattor-ney’sethicalduty toprotectclientconfi-dentiality.Morespecifically,Rule1.14(c)confirms the continuing application ofthe basic confidentiality rule, Rule 1.6,to informationrelating to therepresenta-tion.However,thissubsectiongoesontosay thatwhendealingwith a clientwithdiminished capacity, an attorney will be“impliedlyauthorized,”underRule1.6(a),todiscloseconfidentialclientinformation“to the extent reasonably necessary toprotect the client’s interests.” Rule 1.14(c). Asnotedabove,elderlyclientsmaybe incapacitated by conditions such assevere anxiety, depression, dementia, orAlzheimer’s disease—any ofwhichmayerodetheclient’sabilitytomakeindepen-dentdecisionsregardinghowbesttopro-tecttheirownwelfareinthefaceofelderabuse.Ifthementalimpairmentresultingfromsuchconditionsrisestothelevelof“diminishedcapacity,”andtheclientisat“riskof substantialphysical,financialorotherharmunlessactionistaken…”,Rule1.14(b),thelawyermaymakecarefulandlimited disclosures of confidential clientinformationinordertoprotecttheclient. Thisconclusionissupported,webe-lieve, by ethicsopinions is several otherjurisdictions thathaveappliedRule1.14in analyzing a lawyer’s confidentialityobligation in connection with a client’sthreattocommitsuicide.See Alaska Bar Assoc. Ethics Op. No. 2005-1 (“(U)nderARCP1.14,theattorneymaydisclosetheclient’s stated intent to commit suicideto the proper authorities [e.g., the court,appropriate mental health professionals,

or appropriate detention facility person-nel] irrespective of the client’s custodialstatus, but is not required to do so.”);Massachusetts Ethics Op 01-2 (2001)(“Alawyermaynotifyfamilymembers,adultprotectiveagencies,thepolice,orthecli-ent’s doctors to prevent the threatenedsuicideofaclientifthelawyerreasonablybelievesthatthesuicidethreatisrealandthattheclientissufferingfromsomemen-taldisorderordisabilitythatpreventshimfrom making a rational decision aboutwhether to continue living.”); CT Eth-ics Op. 00-5, 2000 (UnderRule1.14,“alawyer,withouttheclient’sconsent,maydisclosetheclient’sintenttocommitsui-cide inorder toprevent it.”); SC Ethics Opinion 99-12(similarresult). TheconfidentialityobligationofRule1.6isnot,however,theonlyconcernfacedby an attorney considering disclosure ofconfidential client information to protectaclient.Forexample,whilethefinalsen-tenceofABAComment6toModelRule1.14(setforthabove)wouldappeartoal-low consultationwith outside specialistswithout first securing the informed con-sentof the client, the commentdoesnotaddressthepotentialwaiverofconfidenti-alityprotections—includingmost impor-tantly the attorney-client privilege—thatcould result from the participation of anoutsidehealthcareprovider. Moreimportant, if theclientor law-yerdiscussesongoingelderabuseduringconsultations with an outside specialist,the information may trigger a reportingobligation that does not apply to the at-torney.7 Areport to lawenforcement,ofcourse, may be a consequence that theclient vehemently opposes. It may alsoresult in an involuntary change in livingarrangements,guardianshipandeven the

arrest and prosecution of a close familymember.Thesestepsmayprotectthecli-ent,buttheremayalsobelessdraconianmeasures that provide similar protectionwith less disruption. Before bringingthirdparties into the situation, therefore,theattorney shouldattempt todeterminewhetherreportingobligationswillbetrig-gered,orwhethertheattorney-clientpriv-ilegewillbewaived.8 In sum,when“diminishedcapacity”exists,Rules1.14(b)and(c)allowalaw-yer to use or disclose confidential clientinformation, without a client’s consent,“to the extent reasonably necessary” toprotecttheclientfromelderabuseoroth-erthreatenedsubstantialinjurybodily.Di-minishedcapacitywillnot,however,existinallorevenmostcases.Forexample,aclient’s bad decisions do not amount to“diminishedcapacity” thatallowsa law-yer to intervene. “A client’s poor judg-mentdoesnotsufficetowarrant“protec-tive action” under Rule 1.14(b).” ABAFormalOpinion96-404(1996).Wellrec-ognizedethicsauthoritieshaveexpressedthiscautionasfollows:“(Rule1.14)doesnotgive the lawyercarte blanche to im-pose on the client the lawyer’s personalviewofwhatisintheclient’sbestinterest.Rather,Rule1.14authorizesthelawyertoengageinalimited interventionwhentheclient’smental incapacity issuch thatheorshecannotadequatelyprotecthisorherowninterests.”Rotunda&Dzienkowski,supraatpp.658-659.(Emphasisadded.) Because all consequences of unau-thorized disclosure of confidential clientinformation cannot be foreseen or con-trolledby the lawyer, adeterminationof“diminishedcapacity”mustbemadewithgreatcare.

y Ethics from page 20

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Analysis under Rule of Professional Con-duct 1.6 (Confidentiality of Information) This leaves for discussion the law-yer’s authority to use or disclose confi-dential client information, over the cli-ent’sobjection,toprotecttheclientfromthreatened and substantial bodily harmwhendiminishedcapacitydoesnotexist.Rule 1.6 provides the analytical frame-workforthisissue.Relevantpartsoftherulearesetforthbelow:

Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Infor-mation (a) A lawyer shall not reveal in-formation relating to the representa-tionofaclientunlesstheclientgivesinformed consent, the disclosure isimpliedlyauthorizedinordertocarryout the representation, or the disclo-sureispermittedbyparagraph(b). (b) Alawyermayre-veal such information to the extentreasonably necessary: (1) to preventreasonablycertaindeathorsubstantialbodilyharm….

****

Rule 1.6(a),which encompasses notjust attorney-client communications butall “information relating to the represen-tation,” mandates sweeping protectionfor confidential client information.9 Cit-ingcommentary toboth theABAModelRules of Professional Conduct and theNew Hampshire Rules of ProfessionalConduct, the New Hampshire’s Su-preme Court, in Lane’s Case, 153 N.H.10 (2005), noted that the confidentialityinterests protected by Rule 1.6 “serve”as the foundation of the attorney-client

relationship”; and that such protectionencourages clients to communicate fullyand franklywith the attorney even as toembarrassingorlegallydamagingsubjectmatter.”Lane’s Case,supra,at21“Thus,‘thedisclosureofclientconfidencesisanextremeand irrevocableact.’” Id., citing NHRPC 1.6, N.H. cmt. (2005). There are exceptions to this broadmandateofclientconfidentiality.Twoofthese exceptions, found in Rule 1.6(a),are disclosure with a client’s “informedconsent”(notrelevanttothepresentopin-ion),anddisclosure“impliedlyauthorizedin order to carry out the representation”(relevant to the present opinion only incircumstancesinvolvingaclient’sdimin-ished capacity, see Rule 1.14[c]). Threeadditional exceptions found in NHRPC1.6(b)(2-4)arefordisclosures“tosecurelegaladvice”10;disclosurestoestablishaclaim or defense in attorney/client con-troversies or to defend against claimsorallegationsmade incriminalorcivil liti-gationor“anyproceedingconcerningthelawyer’srepresentationoftheclient”;anddisclosures“tocomplywithotherlaworcourtorder”.11Thesealsodonotprovideauthorizationtodiscloseelderabuseovertheclient’sobjection. Thisleavestheconfidentialityexcep-tionsetforthatRule1.6(b)(1): (b) A lawyer may reveal such in-formationtotheextentthelawyerrea-sonablybelievesnecessary (1) toprevent reasonablycer-taindeathorsubstantialbodilyharm12 ortopreventtheclientfromcommit-tingacriminalactthatthelawyerbe-lievesislikelytoresultinsubstantialinjurytothefinancialinterestorprop- ETHICS continued on page 26

ertyofanother. As explained in comments to theABAmodelrule,the1.6(b)(1)exception“recognizes the overriding value of lifeandphysicalintegrityandpermitsdisclo-surereasonablynecessarytopreventrea-sonablycertaindeathorsubstantialbodilyharm.Suchharmisreasonablycertaintooccurifitwillbesufferedimminentlyorifthereisapresentandsubstantialthreatthat a person will suffer such harm at alaterdateifthelawyerfailstotakeactionnecessary to eliminate the threat.” ABA Model Rule 1.6, cmt.6. TheRestatement of the Law Govern-ing Lawyerselaboratesontheoverridingimportance placed on life and “physicalintegrity” thatsupports theexceptionfordisclosures necessary to prevent reason-ably certain death or substantial bodilyharm:

Threats to lifeorbodyencompassedwithin (Section 66 of the Restate-ment)maybetheproductofanactoftheclientoranon-clientandmaybecreatedbywrongfulacts,byaccident,or by circumstances. (citation omit-ted). In all such events, the ultimatethreat is the same, and its existencesuffices towarrant a lawyer’s takingcorrectivestepstopreventthethreat-ened death or serious bodily harm.Restatement at Section 66, Comment b, p.496.

*****

So long as the predicate threat tolife or body exists, discretion (to use ordisclose confidential information) exists

notwithstandingthat…thelawyer’sinfor-mation comes fromotherwise privilegedconversations.Restatement at Section 66, Comment c,p.498. Mere suspicion that elder abuse orother forms of harmmight be occurringis not adequate to trigger this exception.A lawyer can act under this exceptiononly based on “reasonable belief,” de-finedintheTerminologySectionofNewHampshire’s rulesasexistingwhen “…thelawyerbelievesthematterinquestionand…thecircumstancesaresuchthatthebeliefisreasonable,”,NHRPC1.0(i).Thedefinition,which rquires both subjectiveandobjectiveinquiries,wasdiscussedbythe dissent inLane’s Case, supra at 25:“The lawyermust ‘actually suppose [thematterinquestion]tobetrue’andthecir-cumstancesmust be such that the beliefisreasonable.”(Citationsomitted.)Theremustbesufficientevidence(bruises,per-sonality change, manifestations of fearor trepidation, eye witness statementsorstatementsby theclient) to lead toanactualsuppositionthattheclientisbeingabused physically or psychologically orthreatenedwithsuchabuse. Further, the attorney should seekconsent from the client directly, and ifpossible in person, before acting on theattorney’s belief that elder abuse andsubstantialphysicalharmisoccurringorthreatened.Notonlyisitpossiblethatthisdiscussion will provide more evidenceregardingwhether risks to the client arereal.Thediscussionwillalsoprovideanopportunitytounderscorethesupporttheclientwillreceivefromtheattorney,otherprofessionals and reliable family mem-

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bersifconsentisgiventodisclosure. The Committee has noted that thethreatened harm at issue in situationsof elder client abuse is different thanthe harm typically encountered underNHRPC 1.6(b)(1), in which the disclo-sures are typicallyundertakenwhen theattorney’sclient,notathirdparty,threat-ens death, substantial bodily harm orsubstantial financial or property damageto another. This distinction does not af-fecttheanalysis.13Clientconsentforthedisclosuremuststillbesought.Andeveniftheclientcontinuestoobjecttodisclo-sureof theelderabuse—infamily-basedsituationsforexample—theattorneywillalmostalwaysgain informationfromthediscussion that informs his or her judg-ment regardingwhether to proceedwithdisclosureovertheclient’sobjection. Insum,Rule1.6(b)(1)—evenintheabsence of diminished capacity—mayalso authorize an attorney to use or dis-closeconfidentialclientinformation,overtheclient’sobjections,inordertopreventsubstantialharmtotheclientfromoccur-ringorcontinuing.

CONCLUSION: An attorney must always proceedwith thoughtful, cautious analysis in de-ciding to reveal a client’s confidences.However,whensufficientevidenceofac-tual or threatened harm to the client ex-ists,andwhentheclienteithercannot,orrefuses to, provide informed consent fordisclosure,Rules1.6(b)(1)and1.14(b-c)mayauthorizetheattorney,afterconsider-ingotherlessirrevocableoptions,totakeprotective action on behalf of the client

evenwhen the disclosure of confidentialclientinformationisnecessaryduringtheprocess.

ENDNOTES1. ThisOpinionarisesfromaninquirytotheEthicsCommitteethatfocusedonelderabuse;theOpinionthereforeuseselderabuseasoneof the factual underpinnings for the analy-sis.However, the same analytical frameworkwouldapplywheneveraclientfacestheriskofsubstantialharmandrefusestoauthorizehisorherlawyertodiscloseconfidentialinformationasnecessarytoprotecttheclient.2. See generally,Fisher,Elder Abuse: A Pri-vate Problem That Requires Private Solutions,8J.Health&BiomedicalL.81(SuffolkLawSchool2012).3. The website for the National Center iswww.ncea.aoa.gov.4. See Major Types of Elder Abuse,www.ncea.aoa.govintheFAQsection.5. The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study: Final Reportat1(1998),citedatFisch-er,supra,atp.103,n.155.6. See generally Wydra, Keeping Secrets within the Team: Maintaining Client Confi-dentiality while Offering Interdisciplinary Ser-vices to the Elderly Client, 62FordhamLawReview1517(1994)(arguingthattheneedforinterdisciplinary services for elderly clientsshouldbefacilitatedbyenactingmodificationstoethical[primarilyconfidentiality]rulesthathinderinterdisciplinaryconsultations.7. SeediscussionofNewHampshire’selderabusereportingstatute,RSA161-F:46,inn.11herein.8. Comment3toABAmodelrule1.14rais-es someof the same concerns. It encouragestheinvolvementof“familymembersorotherpersons” to assist in discussions between theattorneyandclient if theclient requests theirinvolvement; and concludeswithout support-ing authority that “the presence of such per-sonsgenerallydoesnotaffecttheapplicabilityof the attorney-client evidentiary privilege”.

This Committee has previously raised a redflag in connection with the reliability of theABA’sassuranceregardingtheattorney-clientprivilege.Rather, theCommittee has admon-ishedNewHampshire lawyers tomake theirown determination regarding whether theprivilegewould bewaived as a result of theinvolvementoffamilymembersorothers.SeeCommentNo.1,EthicsCommitteeCommentstoRule1.14.9. TheCommitteeassumes,forpurposesofthis analysis, that the information regardingelder abuse or other form of threatened andsubstantialbodilyharmis“confidentialinfor-mation relating to the representation” that isprotectedbyRule1.6(a).10 Rule 1.6(b)(2) authorizes an attorney todiscuss theelderabusewith lawyer’soutsideof theirfirm to secure legal advice regardingactions the lawyer may take within the con-straints of the rules of professional conduct.Theexceptionprovidesno support, however,fordisclosures toprograms thatmayprovidespecializedassistance,suchastheNHBureauofElderly andAdult Services, theNHAdultProtection Program, or the NH Long TermCareOmbudsman’soffice;ortofamilymem-bersorotherswhomightassistininvestigatingorrespondingtosuspectedelderabuse.11. New Hampshire has enacted legisla-tion mandating reports of “adult abuse” by“any person, including, but not limited to,physicians, other health care professionals,social workers, clergy, and law enforcementofficials”.RSA161-F:46.However,thisman-datory reportingprovision is limitedbyRSA161-F:48,whichreads:

Abrogation of Privileged Communica-tion. The privileged quality of commu-nication between husband and wife andanyprofessionalpersonandhispatientorclient, except that between attorney and client,shallnotapplytoanyproceedingsinstitutedpursuanttothissubdivisionand shall not constitute grounds for failure to report as required by this subdivision.

(Emphasisadded.)

Stated alternatively, the confidentialityobligation imposed on lawyers by the attor-ney-clientprivilegetrumpstheRSA161-F:46reportingobligation.Asdiscussedpreviously,the confidentiality obligation mandated byRule1.6,whichappliestoall“informationre-lating to therepresentation,”providesgreaterprotection than thecommonlawattorney-cli-ent privilege.Thiswould allow an argumentthat the statutory reporting obligation wouldrequire an attorney to disclose confidentialinformationabouttherepresentationthatfallsbeyondthescopeof theattorney-clientprivi-lege.Thelegislationis,however,notclearonthispointandtheSupremeCourthasprovidedno guidance on the issue. Further, a lawyerseekingtojustifythedisclosureofconfidentialclient information over the client’s objectionwill have the burden of proving the applica-tion of any exception to the general confi-dentiality rule.See Lane’s Case, 153N.H.10at21(2005). Underthesecircumstances,weconcludethattheexceptionfoundinRSA161-F:48 is intended to protect the full scope ofconfidential information relating to a client’srepresentation.12. “Substantial bodily harm” is not de-finedfurtherintheABAmodelRulesorNewHampshire’srules.Comment(c)toSection66oftheRestatement of the Law Governing Law-yers, (which uses the phrase “serious bodilyharm”ratherthan“substantialbodilyharm”),containsthefollowingdefinition:

Serious bodily harmwithin themeaning ofthisSection includes life threatening illnessandinjuries,andtheconsequencesofeventssuchasimprisonmentforasubstantialperiodandchildsexualabuse.Italsoincludesacli-ent’sthreatofsuicide.

13. “Athreatwithin(Section66[1]oftheRe-statement)neednotbetheproductofaclientact; an act of a non-client threatening life orpersonalsafetyisalsoincluded.”

y Ethics from page 25


Intellectual Property Law

By Katelyn E. Burgess

Intellectualproperty (IP) is akey business assetthatprovidesimpor-tantrightsandcom-petitive advantages.In the merger andacquisition (M&A)context, IP is oftengiven special con-sideration whennegotiating the pur-chasepriceanddealterms(representationsand warranties, indemnification obliga-tions,etc.). DuediligenceiscriticalforaccuratelyidentifyingtheIPassets,assessingpotentialrisks,anddeterminingpost-closingobliga-tionsandliabilities.Whereatransactionin-volves registered IP, including trademarksandpatentsregisteredwiththeU.S.PatentandTrademarkOffice(USPTO)andcopy-rightsregisteredwiththeUSCopyrightOf-fice, a buyermust determinewhether theseller (and/or target company) has validownershiprights.ThisarticleaddressesIPownershipissuestoconsiderduringM&Aduediligence,focusingprimarilyonchainoftitleissues. RegisteringanIPassetcarries impor-tant benefits for the registrant, includingenforcement rights against infringers. A“chainoftitle”isapublicrecordthattracksownershipofaregisteredIPassetfromtheinitialownertothepresent.Theserecordsareusedtoestablishownershipstatusandmustbekeptup-to-datetoeffectivelypro-tectandpreserveIPrights. GapsinthechainoftitleoccurwhereanIPownerfailstoproperlyrecordanyofthefollowingwiththeappropriatefederal,state,orforeignIPregistry:

• AnassignmenttransferringtheIPinter-esttoanewowner.

• Acorporatemergerwheretheassetsoftwocompaniesaremergedintoaneworexistingentity.

• Achangeinentitytype.• Anychangeinthenameoftheentity.

A seller may undergo corporate re-structuring, including reorganization un-der§368(a)(1)(F)of the InternalRevenueCode,aspartofitsM&Astrategy.Suchre-structuringsoftenresultinachangeinenti-tytype(e.g.,conversionfromacorporation

toalimitedliabilitycompany)andanamechange (e.g., ABC, Inc. becomes ABC,LLC). Entity changes should be promptlyrecorded with the appropriate IP registryfollowingreorganizationtopreventgapsinthechainoftitle.

Regardlessofwhetherabuyer ispur-chasing specific IP assets or inheriting acompany’s existing IP portfolio upon pur-chasingacontrolling interest in theentity,chainoftitleissuescancausecomplicationsinM&Adeals.Chainoftitlediscrepanciescastdoubtonwhoisabletoexerciseown-ership rightsandcan result ina lossof IPrightsifleftunresolved.Ifthechainoftitleis incomplete at closing, a buyer will en-counter issuesdown the roadenforcing IPrightsagainstinfringersandfilingtheformsandfeesneededtomaintaintheIPregistra-tions.Aninaccuratechainof titlecanalsopreventabuyerfromtimelyrecordinganIPassignmentafterclosing.DependingonthematerialityoftheregisteredIP,alossofpur-

chasedIPrightscanbeacostlyhit. If a transaction involves registered IPassets,abuyermustcarefullyreviewpublicownershiprecordsandidentifyanygapsinthechainoftitleduringitsdiligenceperiod.Ownership information for federal regis-trationsisavailableinthedatabasesmain-tainedby theUSPTOand theU.S.Copy-rightOffice.Commercialdatabasescanalsoprovideaccesstostateorforeigndatabasesotherwisenotpubliclyavailableonline. Insomecases,abuyermayneedtoengagelo-cal agents tomanually pull ownership re-cordsintherelevantjurisdictions. Note thatdatabasesearchesbyownername may be incomplete if registrationsandapplicationsare recorded in thenameofapriorownerorunderadifferententityname.ToavoidmissingvaluableIPassetsin itsdiligence review,abuyer should re-quirethesellertoidentify:

• All IPcoveredby federal, state,or for-eign registrations or pending applica-tions;

• The relevant jurisdiction covered byeachregistrationorapplication;

• Thepatent,registration,andapplicationnumbers;and

• Thefiling,registration,andissuedates.

Initsdiligencereview,abuyershouldalso confirm whether there are any unre-leasedliensaffectingtheIPassetsby(i)re-viewingsecurityinterestsrecordedagainstpatents, trademarks, and copyrights regis-teredwiththeUSPTOandtheUSCopyright

Officeand(ii)conductingUCC-1searchesin the relevant states. The parties shouldidentifywhichliensmustbereleasedpriortoclosingandcoordinatefilingterminationdocumentswiththeappropriateagencies. Dependingon the jurisdictionand theaccessibilityofpriorowners(andtheirau-thorizedsignatories),resolvingchainoftitlediscrepancies can be a costly and lengthyprocess. The parties should identify theseissuesearlyoninanM&Adealandallowsufficientleadtimeforresolution. At closing, the parties must executevalid,recordabletransferdocumentstopro-activelyavoidfuturechainoftitleproblems.For an IP assignment to be recordable, itmustbeintheproperformat.Forexample,trademarkassignmentsneedtoclearlyiden-tifythetransferredassets(e.g.,bylistingthespecificmarks andapplicable registrationsnumbers on an accompanying schedule)andmustincludeassignmentofthe“good-willofthebusiness”tobevalid. AnyassignmentofIPrightsshouldberecordedassoonaspossiblefollowingtheclosing and must comply with any juris-diction-specificdeadlines.UnderU.S. law,a patent or trademark assignment is voidagainst a subsequent purchaser for valueunless recorded with the USPTO within3monthsof thedateof theassignmentorpriortothesubsequentpurchase. Post-closingassignmentscanbecom-plicated where a transaction involves thetransferof rights in foreign IPassets.For-eignjurisdictionsoftenhavemorecumber-some transfer requirements and, to avoiddelays, a buyer should be prepared to getany requireddocuments at closing.Whereabuyeracquiresallorsubstantiallyallofaseller’sassets, a selleroftenwindsupanddissolves its business after the closing. Ifa buyerwaits too long toget the requireddocuments, the necessary signatories maybeunavailable(orunwilling)tosign. At the end of the day, a buyerwantstoensureitwillreceivethefullpanoplyofIPrightspromised(andpaidfor)underthepurchaseagreement.WherethebenefitsofregisteredIPownershiparedilutedbychainoftitlediscrepancies,abuyerpayspremiumforrightsitmaynotactuallybeabletouse.

Katelyn Burgess is an associate in McLane Middleton’s Intellectual Property Practice Group. She can be reached at (603) 628-1349 or [email protected].

What’s Mine is Maybe Yours: Spotting IP Chain of Title Issues in M&A Transactions

Regardless of whether a buyer is purchasing specific IP assets or inheriting a company’s existing IP portfolio upon purchasing a controlling interest in the entity, chain of title issues can cause complications in M&A deals.

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Brendan D. O’Brien Attorney / Shareholder

New HampshireVermont | Washington D.C.

Find out more about the Primmer team at Primmer.com/Careers



Means Plus Function – Williamson Removed The “Heavy” Presumption But Dyfan And VDPP Pack Some of the Pounds Back On

Christopher Cole Peter S. Cowan Bryanna K. Devonshire James P. Harris MIchael J. LambertRobert R. Lucic Robert H. Miller Peter A. Nieves William P. OʼSullivan Brian D. Thomas Douglas G. Verge Jonathan B. Whitcomb

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s h e ehan . c omBoston • Concord • Manchester • Portsmouth • Upper Valley

Sheehan Phinneyʼs Intellectual Property (IP) Group includes a powerful team of prosecutors and litigators focused and skilled in the strategic use of IP. We partner with clients in the management, protection, and enforcement of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights, in addition to addressing internet, e-commerce, contracts and other related issues.

Sheehan Phinney’s IP team has been consistently recognized by> Chambers USA, Band 1> Best Lawyers in America®> New England Super Lawyers®> Managing Intellectual Property Magazine, Highly Recommended> IP Stars

Strengthening IP Strategies

By Kevin McGrath

The FederalCircuit recently is-sued two decisions1 in which it madeclear thatwhileWil-liamson2 removedthe “strong,” or“heavy” presump-tion that §112(f)doesnotapplywhena “means” term isnot present, a rebut-tablepresumptionstill remains. Thepartychallenging the presumption must presentevidencethatshowsbyapreponderanceoftheevidencethatoneofordinaryskillintheartwouldfindthetermdoesnotrecite“suf-ficientlydefinite”structure.3The twodeci-sionsshouldgivecourtspausebeforeapply-ing§112(f)toclaimsthatdonotusetheterm“means.” Ameansplusfunctionclaimlimitationdescribes a claim element in terms of thefunctionitperformsratherthanthespecificstructureoftheelement.Butwhenaclaimtermisconstruedasameansplusfunctionlimitation, the recited “means” is limitedto only the specific structures disclosed inthespecificationforperformingtherecitedfunction,andalimitedrangeofequivalents.4 Fallingunderthisprovisioncanhavedrasticconsequences by significantly limiting thescope of the claim, orworse, if the speci-fication does not disclose both adequate

“structure”andaclearlinkagebetweenthestructure and the means term, the entireclaimcouldbe invalid as indefinite.5 Thiscan be particularly challenging for patentsthatclaimcomputer-implementedfunctions.

If§112(f)applies,thespecificationgen-erallymust disclose an algorithm for eachrecitedfunction.6 Williamsonhas,therefore,added another powerful arrow to a patentchallenger’s quiver for invalidating patentclaimswithfunctionallanguage. In Dyfan, the claim did not include“means”andinsteadusedtheword“code”configured to perform a series of recitedfunctions.Thepatentholderpresentedunre-buttedexperttestimonythattheterm“code”connotes structure and that the claimedfunctions couldbe implementedwith “off-the-shelf” code or applications.7TheCourtreversedtheDistrictCourt’sdecisiontoap-ply§112(f),findingthattheDistrictCourt’scharacterization of the claim as “purelyfunctional” was unsupported and that theDistrictCourtdidnotgiveproperweighttothepresumptionortheunrebuttedexperttes-timony.TheCourtalsoreiteratedthatunlikethemechanicalarts, the“structure”insoft-wareclaimsareinpartdefinedbytherecited

functionssuchthatitwouldbeincorrecttoonlylooktothe“code”portionoftheclaimforthestructurewhileignoringtheremain-ingfunctionalelements.8 VDPPhada similaroutcome. In thatcasethedisputedclaimtermswere“storage”and“processor”eachadaptedtoperformoneormore functions.TheCourt reversed theDistrictCourt’sdecisiontoapply§112(f)be-causethechallengerdidnotpresentanyevi-dencetorebutthepresumptionthat§112(f)didnotapplyandtheDistrictCourtdidnotgiveanyeffecttothepresumptionandcon-cludedwithoutevidencethat§112(f)shouldapply.9 TheDyfan andVDPPdecisionsalongwiththelegalprecentcitedinthosedecisionswillbeusefulforpatentownersseekingtoavoid application of §112(f). For parties(usuallypatentchallengers)seekingtoover-comethepresumption,thesedecisionsmakeclearthatevidenceisnecessaryandthattheevidencemustdemonstratethatapersonofordinary skill in the art would believe theclaim terms do not recite sufficiently defi-nite structure. For patent practitioners thatpreparepatentapplications, in thisauthor’sopinion,bestpractice remains toconserva-tively assume §112(f) will be applied and

ensurethatthespecificationincludesasuf-ficiently detailed algorithm for all claimedcomputerimplementedfunctions.Itwouldalso be good practice for practitioners tousetermsthathavebeenheldbythecourtsto connote sufficient structure, such as the“storage” and “processor” terms inVDPP andavoidcoined terms thatdonothavearecognizedmeaning,suchasthe“useriden-tificationmodule”inRain Computing.10

Endnotes1. Dyfan, LLC v. Target Corp.,28F.4th1360(Fed.Cir.2022)andVDPP LLC v. Vizio, Inc.,No.2021-2040,2022WL885771(Fed.Cir.Mar.25,2022)2. Williamson v. Citrix Online, LLC,792F.3d1339(Fed.Cir.2015)3. Dyfan,28F.4that13664. See35USC§112(f)5. See, e.g., Rain Computing, Inc. v. Samsung Elecs. Am., Inc.,989F.3d1002,1007(Fed.Cir.2021).6. Id. 7. Dyfan,28F.4that1368.8. Id.9. VDPP,No.2021-2040,2022WL885771,at*3.10. Rain Computing, Inc.,989F.3d1002.

Downs Rachlin Martin Attorney, Kevin Mc-Grath, brings experience drafting and pros-ecuting patent applications, patent land-scaping and strategy, providing freedom to operate and infringement counseling and opinions, IP licensing, and patent and trade-mark litigation.

“For patent practitioners that prepare patent applications, in this author’s opinion, best practice remains to conservatively assume §112(f) will be applied and ensure that the specification includes a sufficiently detailed algorithm for all claimed computer implemented functions.”



By William P. O’Sullivan

WhatdoThom-as Edison, GeorgeWashington Carver,PaulaAbdul,AlbertEinstein, AbrahamLincoln, JamesCameron, HeadyLamar, MichaelJackson,SteveJobs,Jamie Lee Curtis,and Eddie Van Ha-len have in com-mon? Obviously,theyareallcelebritiesorhistoricalfigures.Perhapslesswell-known,theyareallinven-tors. Finally, theyareallpeople. Whyisthisnoteworthy?Allinventorsarepeople,right?Well,asitturnsout,notnecessarily. In1789,theUnitedStatesConstitutiongranted Congress authority “[t]o promotetheProgressofScienceandusefulArts,bysecuringforlimitedTimesto...InventorstheexclusiveRight to their . . .Discover-ies.”ThisprovisiongaverisetotheUSpat-entsystemthathassincegrantedinventorsthe right to exclude others from making,using,selling,offeringtosell,orimportingapatentedinventionforacertainperiodoftime.Theinventor’snameisrequiredtobelistedonthepatentapplicationandisalsolistedon the frontpageofanypatent thatmayissuefromthepatentapplication. UnderU.S. law, an “inventor” is anyindividual (or individuals in the case of ajoint invention) who conceived an inven-

tion.Conceptioninthisregardreferstotheactof formingordevisingan invention inthemind.Traditionallyatleast,conceivinginventionshasbeenunderstoodasaprocessperformedbyhumans.So,howcouldanin-ventorbeanythingbuthuman? EnterDABUS. DABUS,shortfor“DevicefortheAu-tonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sen-tience,”isanartificialintelligence(AI)sys-temcreatedbyDr.StephenThaler.DABUShasbeendescribedasa“creativitymachine”andisessentiallyaseriesofartificialneuralnetworksspecificallytrainedtobecreative.Since its creation in 2018-2019, DABUSautonomouslydesigned(conceived?)alight

sourceforanemergencybeacon,aswellasauniquely-shapedfoodcontainer. Dr. Thaler filed patent applicationsin several countries, including the UnitedStates, to seek protection for these inven-tions. ThepatentapplicationsnamedDA-BUSasthesoleinventor.IntheU.S.ver-sion of the patent applications,Dr.Thalerincluded a “Statement of Inventorship,”which states, “DABUS was not createdto solve any particular problem, nor wastrainedonany specialdata relevant to theinstantinvention.Themachine,ratherthanaperson,identifiedthenoveltyandsalienceoftheinstantinvention.”DABUS,Dr.Thal-er urged,was the appropriate entity to be

namedasthesoleinventorfortheseinven-tions. TheDABUSpatent applications raisevarious questions about inventorship in-cluding,forexample,what it reallymeanstoinvent,whetheramachinecanqualifyasan inventor under existing laws, andwhatsortsofprotectionare(orshouldbe)avail-able when a machine participates in con-ceivinganinventionorconceivestheinven-tiononitsown. Shortlyafter theDABUSapplicationswere filed, the U.S. Patent & TrademarkOffice(theUSPTO)refusedtoexaminethepatent applications on the basis that DA-BUSisamachine,notanaturalperson,asrequiredbyapplicablestatues,caselaw,andUSPTOrulesandregulations. Dr.ThalersoughtredressintheUnitedStatesDistrictCourtfortheEasternDistrictofVirginia(DistrictCourt)arguingthattheUSPTO’sdecisionwasarbitrary,capricious,andanabuseofdiscretion,wasinconsistentwithapplicablelaws,wasinsufficientlysup-portedbyevidence,andexceededtheUSP-TO’s statutory authority. Ultimately, theDistrictCourtupheldtheUSPTO’sdecisiontorefuseconsiderationoftheDABUSpat-entapplication.First,theDistrictCourtac-knowledgedthat,underapplicablecaselaw,the USPTO’s interpretation was entitledtodeferencebecause, as thegovernmentalagencychargedwithadministeringthepat-entstatute,theUSPTOperformedacarefulanalysis and reached a reasonable conclu-

When Machines Invent

INVENT continued on page 31

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By Chelsea Steadman

The past fiveyearshavenotbeenkind to Section 2of the LanhamAct(15 USC §1052).Since 2017, twoUnited State Su-preme Court deci-sions have struckdown provisions ofSection 2(a) as dis-criminatory againstfree speech. (Matal v. Tam and Iancu v. Brunetti).Section2isunderattackagain–andthistime,itispolitical. An individual named Steve Elstersought federal registration of the termTRUMPTOOSMALLasatrademarkforapparel items (T-shirts). The applicationwas initially refused on two grounds: (1)Falseassociationwithanindividual,invio-lationofLanhamAct2(a),and(2)Thattheapplication consists of an actual person’sname without that person’s written con-sent,inviolationofLanhamAct2(c). For the average American, this isaligned with general privacy standards.Whyshouldsomeonebeallowedanexclu-siverighttouseanactualperson’sidentitywithoutthatperson’sconsent?Butwhatofourpublicfigures,whoareheldtoadiffer-entstandard?

Elster arguedagainst the refusals, as-serting his trademark was political com-mentary and his first amendment right tofree speech was being infringed by thegovernment’srefusaltoregistersuchmark.Theexaminerdismissedhisargument,not-ing that section 2 of theLanhamAct hasnocarveoutforpoliticalcommentary.El-ster then appealed the refusal to registerto theTrademarkTrial andAppealBoard(TTAB),whoaffirmedonlyonthegroundsofSection2(c)oftheLanhamAct–failuretosecurewrittenconsentofDonaldTrump.ElsterappealedhispositiontotheCourtofAppealsfortheFederalCircuit. Trademarks are source-indicators to

helpconsumersidentifyaspecificcompa-nyorindividualofferinggoodsand/orser-vicesincommerce.Atcommonlaw,trade-markrightstriggerwhenabusinessbeginstouseaparticularname,logo,slogan,etc.in commerce. Enabled by the commerceclause, the federalgovernment isempow-eredtoissuefederaltrademarkregistrationsto those thatuse a trademark in interstatecommerce.Suchfederalregistrationgrantsnationwideprioritytothetrademarkholderagainstanyjunioruser. Theprimarybenefitoftrademarklawin the United States, including federaltrademark registrations, is the right toex-clusivityof use, i.e. the ability toprevent

others from using a confusingly similartrademarkforsimilargoodsand/orservic-es. Butcanpoliticalcommentaryactasasourceindicator? When Elster first asserted that histrademark claim was intentional politi-calcommentary,theExaminercouldhaveamended the refusal to add an additionalobjection – that intentional political com-mentarydoesnot functionasa trademark(sections1,2,3and45oftheLanhamAct).Should such refusal have issued, ElsterthenwouldhaveahardtimebacktrackinghispriorstatementstoinsteadarguehistrueintentionistousethephraseTRUMPTOOSMALLasasource indicator. Indeed,hisprimaryintentappearstobeadesiretosellapoliticalphrasetothosewhoarealignedwith suchcommentary. In suchcases, theunderlying goods are of no import – itdoesn’t matter if the product is a coffeemug, a hat, or a t-shirt, the potential pur-chaserwouldbeattractedtobuythephraseontheitemandisnotconcernedwiththesourceorqualityoftheunderlyingproductitself.Thisisnotpropertrademarkuse. While the examiner did not includesuchabasisinhisrefusal,theexaminerandTTABbothfoundtherewasnorestrictionofhisfreedomofspeechasElsterdidnotneedatrademarkregistrationtootherwisefreelysellsuchphraseonapparelincom-

TRUMP TOO SMALLShould Political Commentary be Registerable as a Trademark?

TRADEMARK continued on page 31

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sion. Second, theDistrictCourt indicatedthat,evenifnosuchdeferenceweredue,theUSPTO’s conclusion was correct becausetheplainlanguageoftheapplicablestatutes,andpriorFederalCircuitCourtofAppeals(FederalCircuit)decisionssupport theno-tionthatinventorsmustbenaturalpersons. TheDistrictCourtrejectedDr.Thaler’sargument that “[a]llowing patents forAI-Generated Inventions will result in moreinnovation” finding that “policy consider-ationscannotovercomeastatute’splainlan-guage.”TheCourtfurtherrejectedDr.Thal-er’s argument that Congress would haveincludedAI machines in the definition of“inventors”ifithadcontemplatedthepossi-bilitythatAImachinescouldautonomouslyconceiveofnewinventions.TheCourtnot-edthatCongressdefined“inventors”as“in-dividuals” throughout theAmerica InventsAct, which was passed in 2011, whenAImachinesalreadywereinexistence. Dr. Thaler has since appealed to theFederalCircuit,characterizingthelegalis-sueonappealas“whetherapatentcanbeobtainedforaninventioncreatedbyartifi-cialintelligence(AI)intheabsenceofatra-ditionalhuman inventor.” Inhisappellatebrief,Dr.Thaler argues that theUSPTO’sdecisionwasentitledtonodeferencebythecourts,thatprotectingAI-generatedinnova-tions is consistentwith theplain languageof the applicable statutes, consistent withcongressional intent, and consistent withthe Doctrine of ConstitutionalAvoidance,pursuant to which federal courts shouldavoidrulingonconstitutionalissuesandre-

solvecasesbefore themonothergrounds,ifpossible.TheUSPTO,ontheotherhand,argues in their opposition brief that theDistrictCourtcorrectlyequated“inventor”with “human being” or “natural person,”and thatDr.Thaler’spolicyargumentsareinsufficienttoovercomethatdetermination,andthattheUSPTO’sdecisionisentitledtodeference.AdecisionfromtheFederalCir-cuit is expected sometime in thenext fewmonths. Thisisclearlythebeginningofanewandfascinatingera in technologicaldevel-opment.RecognizingAIasaninventorforautonomously conceived inventions couldopen the door to recognizing other rights(andevenresponsibilities)arisingfromAIinteractions. Thus, the Federal Circuit’sdecision inThaler v. Vidal could have farreachingimplicationsforfuturetechnologi-cal advances. Regardless of the outcome,however,Congresscouldindependentlyacttoamendtheapplicablestatutestospecifi-callyincludeorexcludeAIasaninventor.Thus, inventors and patent attorneys alikeeagerlyawaittheFederalCircuit’sdecisioninThaler v. Vidal andrelatedactionbyCon-gress,ifany.Staytuned.

William O’Sullivan is a member of Sheehan Phinney’s intellectual property group. His practice emphasizes patent prosecution and counseling, patent strategy and analysis, and development and management of pat-ent portfolios. Bill has technical expertise in electrical, mechanical, optical and software technologies. He has spoken on patent law topics in a variety of academic and business settings.

merce-hejustwasnotabletosecuretheregistrationofsuchphraseundertheLan-hamAct. Onappeal,theFederalCircuitframedthe issue separately than theTTABhad–not whether Elster was otherwise free tosellthephraseont-shirtswithoutsecuringa trademark registration,butwhether sec-tion2(c)whichrequiresconsenttoregisteranindividual’snameasatrademarkcanle-gallydisadvantagethespeechatissue,i.e.speech in relation to a public figure. TheFederalCircuitfoundthatitcouldnotandthereforefound the invocationofLanhamAct’sSection2(c)improperlyrestrictedEl-ster’sfirstamendmentrights. Citing long-standing legal precedentthat commercial speech can be protectedunder thefirst amendmentandpublicfig-uresaresubjecttopublicscrutiny,theFed-eral Circuit held the government has novalidpublicityorprivacyinterestthatcouldovercome thefirstamendmentprotectionsaffordedtothepoliticalcriticismembodiedinElster’smark. Inotherwords, thegov-ernment’sabilitytorestrictspeechagainstpublicfigureson thegroundsofpublicityor privacy issues cannot be borne unlessthereisashowingofactualmalice–evenwhenthatspeechisinatrademarkapplica-tion. While the question before the courtwasonlyaconstitutionalchallengeasap-pliedinthecurrentproceeding,theFederalCircuitopenedthedoortobroaderconsti-tutionalchallenges,statingSection2(c)oftheLanhamActasawholeappearsuncon-

stitutionallybroad, leaving thePatent andTrademarkOfficenodiscretion toexempttrademarksthatadvanceparody,criticism,commentary on matters of public impor-tance,artistic transformation,oranyotherfirstamendmentinterests. However, in finding that refusing theregistration was a restriction against freespeech, the Federal Circuit seemingly ig-noredthewiderimpactofsuchregistration,namely, that the grant of such trademarkregistrationsisagranttoexclusivityofuseagainstsimilartrademarksonsimilargoodsand/orservicesincommerce.Ifthegovern-mentgrantsexclusivityofuseinapoliticaltrademarktooneentity,thatgrantofrightsisattheexpressdisadvantageofotherswhowould want to exercise similar politicalspeechinthesameorsimilarmanner. There may be a chilling effect, astrademarkownermustactivelypolicetheirtrademark rights against any confusinglysimilariterationsincommerce.IfElsterisgrantedthetrademarkregistrationheseeks,hemaythenenforcesuchtrademark,send-ing cease and desist letters to individualswhousesimilarpoliticalcommentaryinasimilarcommercialmanner. Onremand,theexaminermaystillis-suearefusalonthegroundsthat the termfails to function as a trademark. In themeantime, we are likely to see more po-litical commentary trademarkapplicationsfiledwiththePTOwithstrongerconstitu-tionalchallengestocome.

Chelsea Steadman is an intellectual prop-erty attorney at Grossman Tucker Perreault & Pfleger PLLC.

y Invent from page 29 y Trademark from page 30


Municipal & Governmental Law

By Natch Greyes At the NewHampshire Munici-pal Association, wespend a great dealof time providingtraining to local of-ficials, and a majorfocusofthattrainingistheRight-to-KnowLaw.It’seasytoseewhy. Even seem-inglymundaneareasofthelaw,suchasthedefinitionof“publicbody,”arefullofunex-pectedpitfalls.Probablythemostproblem-aticterminRSA91-A:1-a,IVis“advisorycommittee.”Thetermcomesintoplaymorefrequently than imagined, especially whenconsideringholidaycelebrations,suchastheannualFourthofJulyfestival. Many such celebrationsoccasionpub-lic-private partnerships, and it is often dif-ficult todeterminewhenthosepartnershipssubject themselves to theprovisionsof theRight-to-KnowLaw.Thekeyistodeterminewhethertheorganizationalactivitiesaretak-ingplaceundertheauspicesofan“advisorycommittee”ornot.Theterm“advisorycom-mittee”hasbeenaddressedseveraltimesbytheNewHampshireSupremeCourt.Inthefirstcase,Bradbury v. Shaw,116N.H.388(1976),theCourtlookedatRochester’s“In-dustrialAdvisoryCommittee.”Thecommit-teewascreatedbytheRochesterCityMayor

andconsisted“primarilyofprominentbusi-nessmen, but also includes newspapermenandmembersofthecitycouncil.” The commit-teemetforavarietyofpurposes but saw theCourt note its involve-ment in the sale ofseveral parcels of city-owned property andfrequentlydiscussedtheextension of city wa-terandsewerlinesandtheconstructionofnewstreets. As such, the

CourtfoundthatthecommitteeadvisedtheCityand,subsequently,fellundertheprovi-

sionsof theRight-to-KnowLaw. More recently,the Court againvisited the termin Martin v. City of Rochester, 239A. 3d 1002 (N.H.2020),andtherulepromulgatedinthatcaseisdirectlyap-plicable in manymunicipal con-

texts.Inshort,RochestercreatedaTechnicalReview Group (TRG) that was comprisedofcityemployeesfromvariousdepartmentsandarepresentativeoftheconservationcom-mission.ThepurposeoftheTRGwastore-viewapplicationsthatweretobesubmittedtoitsplanningboardinordertoappriseap-plicantsoftherelevantconcernsofthemu-nicipaldepartmentsrepresentedbyitsmem-bers.Inotherwords,itwasprovidingadvicetoapplicants to theplanningboard,not theplanningboarditself,andthatadvicecould be provided in one-on-one meetings withdepartment representatives inmeetings thatwouldnotbesubject to theRight-to-KnowLaw.Assuch,theCourtdeterminedthattheTRGdidnot qualify as an “advisory com-mittee”and,therefore,wasnotsubjecttotheprovisionsoftheRight-to-KnowLaw. In theory,BradburyandMartinshouldprovideclear,bright-lineanswerstowhetheranentityqualifiesasan“advisorycommit-tee” and is subject to the provisions of theRight-to-Know Law, but reality is morecomplicated.Thereareinnumerableinstanc-eswherecitizensandcitizensgroupsseektoassist their localgovernments,and it isun-clearwhetherandwhensuchassistancesub-jectsitselftotheprovisionsoftheRight-to-KnowLaw.Take,forexample,planningthetown’sFourthofJulycelebrations.Whiletheapproval of activities takingplace on townpropertyorrequireatownexpenditureneedtheapprovalof theselectboardand,possi-

The Difficulty of Advisory Committees Under the Right-to-Know Law

LAW continued on page 35

“Many [public holiday] celebrations occasion public-private partnerships, and it is often difficult to determine when those partnerships subject themselves to the provisions of the Right-to-Know Law.”



By Cordell Johnston

Short-termrentals(STRs)havea long history inNew Hampshire.Property ownersin the Lakes Re-gion and theWhiteMountains havetraditionally rentedcottages or secondhomes to vacation-ers, typically on aweekly basis. Some homeowners haverented their primary residences for sea-sonal events, such as Laconia’s Motor-cycleWeek.Someofthesepracticesmayhaveviolatedlocalzoningordinances,butviolationswerefrequentlyoverlookedbe-causetheycausedfewproblems. Thesituationhaschangedwiththead-ventofAirbnbandotheron-lineplatformsthatmakeiteasyandenticingtorentprop-ertiesforanightoraweekend.Inatrou-blingtrend,investorsarebuyinguphousesandmarketingthemasshort-termrentals,essentiallyturningthemintomini-hotels. Guests at these properties frequentlyturn them into party houses, disruptingneighborhoods and straining municipalresources.Inresponsetolocalcomplaintsand efforts to restrict STRs, many STRowners claim their properties aremerely“residential”usesthatcannotberegulated. The law on municipal regulation ofSTRs is really quite simple.NewHamp-

shire’s zoning enabling statute, RSA674:16, authorizes a zoning ordinance to“regulateandrestrict,”amongotherthings,“the location and use of buildings, struc-turesandlandusedforbusiness,industrial,residential,orotherpurposes.” There is, therefore, no question thatmunicipalities may restrict or prohibitSTRs,justlikeanyotherlanduse.Thisisadecisiontobemadebyeachmunicipality.Thehardquestionineachcaseiswhetherthezoningordinancedoes,infact,regulateSTRs. Zoning ordinances operate by eitherallowing or prohibiting specific uses thataredefinedintheordinance.Untilrecently,fewifanyordinancesusedtheterm“short-termrental.”Intheabsenceofthatdefinedterm,thequestionbecomeswhetherthere

is another defined term in the ordinancethatcanbeinterpretedtoincludeSTRs. For example, if anordinance specifi-cally allows single-family dwellings, theordinance’s definition of “single-familydwelling”becomesimportant: isitbroadenoughtoincludeSTRs?IfitisclearthatSTRsarenotwithinthatdefinition,mighttheyfitwithin another definition, such as“bedandbreakfast,”“guesthouse,”or“ho-tel?” Itisalsopossiblethattheordinance’sexisting definitions will allow some, butnot all, STRs. The ordinance may, forexample, allow the short-term rental of aroominanowner-occupiedresidence,butnotofahousewhoseownerisabsent;oritmayallowtheshort-termrentalofahousethatisusedasaprimaryresidenceatleast

sixmonthsoftheyear. As the problems created by STRshavemounted,municipalitieshavebegunlooking at their ordinances and enforcingexisting restrictions–either explicit or im-plicit–ontheseuses.Whilesomepropertyownershavecomplainedthatnewenforce-menteffortsconstituteunlawful“selectiveenforcement,” this is incorrect. The NewHampshire Supreme Court has held thata claimof selective enforcement requiresshowing“more than that theenforcementwas merely historically lax.” The prop-erty owner must demonstrate that “theselective enforcement was a conscious,intentional discrimination.” Anderson v. Motorsports Holdings,155N.H.491,499(2007). Historical non-enforcement doesnotprecludeenforcementnow,solongasitisnotdiscriminatory. Threecourtdecisionshaveaddressedmunicipal restrictionsonSTRs. InWork-ing Stiff Partners v. Portsmouth,172N.H.611(2019), thesupremecourtupheld thePortsmouth ZBA’s ruling that a single-familyhouseusedexclusivelyasa short-termrentaldidnotconstitutea“dwellingunit”andthereforewasnotpermitted.Theordinance’s definition of “dwelling unit”expressly excluded “such transient oc-cupancies as hotels, motels, rooming orboardinghouses,”andthecourtconcludedthat the short-term rental was similar tothoseuses.

Zoning Regulation of Short-Term Rentals Remains a Local Decision

ZONING continued on page 35

Drummond Woodsum’s attorneys are experienced at guiding towns, cities, counties and local governments through a variety of issues including:

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ByJacquelynPariseauandBenjaminFrost

Overview Over the past two decades, NewHampshire has seen a rising crisis in thehousingavailabilityandaffordability.Run-ning parallel to this lack of supply is anincrease in demand forworkers through-outthestate’seconomy.Whencombiningthesetwofactors,thehousingmarkethasnot only seen adecline inhousing avail-ability, but an exponential growth in thecoststobothrentorownanytypeofhous-ing.Inthepasttwoyearsthepandemichasacceleratedthesetrends,whichhavebeenexacerbated by supply chain strains anddramatic increases in construction costs.Changesinworkpatternshavealsohadanimpactonhowandwherepeople chooseto live, causing increased demand in theNewHampshirehousingmarket.Whetherthesepandemic-relatedtrendswillcontin-ueisuncertain,butbuyersandrentersareunlikelytoseeanyreliefintheirhousing

costs. Tohelpaddressthehousingcrisis,theNew Hampshire Legislature has passedseveralmeasures aimed at improving thelocal regulatory environment: the 2008Workforce Housing Law, requiring allmunicipalitiestoprovideareasonableandrealistic opportunity for the developmentofaffordablehousing;enablingtheestab-lishmentoflocalhousingcommissionsandmunicipal affordable housing revolvingfunds; and requiringmunicipalities to al-lowanaccessorydwellingunitassociatedwithasingle-familyhome. In thesessionjust concluded, the Legislature enacted aseries of measure to streamline the localdevelopmentpermittingprocess. To address the significant develop-menttimeandcostbarrierposedbycourttrials,in2019,theLegislaturecreatedtheNew Hampshire HousingAppeals Board(HAB)toestablishanalternative,moreef-

ficientmethod todealwithappealsof lo-calregulatorydecisionsregardinghousing.Amongthefindingsinsupportofthisini-tiative, theLegislature concluded “Build-ers may appeal local land use decisionstothesuperiorcourt,butsuchappealsareexpensiveandtimeconsuming,oftenlead-ingbuilderstoeitherabandontheirappealsorcompletelyavoidseekingdevelopmentpermits.”Aschampionof this legislation,State SenatorBobGiuda said that itwasimportanttoholdlocalboardsaccountablefor their decisions, and that many plan-ningandzoningboardswererelyingonthecosts of litigation todelayorprevent de-velopment.The legislationhad strongbi-partisansupportandultimatelywaspassedaspartof thebiennialbudget,codifiedasRSAChapter679.TheHABwasformedin2019andstartedacceptingappealsinearly2020. TheHousingAppealsBoardprovidesan alternative appeals process for localdecisions on proposals for housing andhousing developments. It has concurrentappellate jurisdictionwith superior court,andanypartythatcandemonstratestand-ingcanchoosebetweenthesevenues. TheHousingAppealsBoard is com-prisedofathree-memberboard,allofwhichwereappointedbytheNHSupremeCourt.Onemembermustbeanattorneyandan-othermembermustbeeitheraprofessionalengineer or a licensed land surveyor; allthreemustbe“learnedandexperiencedinquestionsoflanduselaworhousingdevel-opmentorboth”(RSA679:1). TheHABcan review appeals brought by any partywithstanding.Thestandardofreviewforthe HAB is the same standard of reviewusedwithin the trial courts,meaning thattheHABwilloverturnalocalboarddeci-siononlyifitconcludesthattheactionwasunreasonableorcontrarytolaw.TheHABmustmakeadecisiononthemeritswithin150daysfromtheappealbeingfiled.Afteradecisionismade,partiesofthecasecanappealtheHAB’sdecisiontotheNHSu-premeCourt.

HAB Court Decisions, Thus Far… In April 2021, the HousingAppealsBoardhearditsfirstcase,Shattuck v. Town of Francestown.TheHABheldthatthelo-cal planning board had failed to provideany factual basis for denying a four-lotresidential subdivision proposal. In re-versingtheplanningboard’sdecision, theHABstatedthat theopinionsof theplan-ningboardmemberswerenotlegallysuf-ficienttosupportadecision,“GeneralizedconcernsofnoncompliancewhicharenotspecificallyitemizedintheTown’szoningordinanceorPlanningRegulationsdonotconstituteaviableandreasonablebasisforplandenial.”(Shattuck v. Town of Frances-town,NHHousingAppealsBoard,PBA-

2021-01). Since its first decision the HAB hasfollowedwithatotalof20decisions,withanother 20 cases pending.Bydesign, theHABhas no impact on local control, butrather offer property owners, developers,and abutters a more efficient method toappeal local land use board decisions onhousing. Implementation of this goal canbeseenbytheHAB’sfrequentpracticeofremandingdecisionsratherthanreversingthem.Includedwiththeremandordersareclear instructions for the local actors toemploythesecondtimearound.Theincor-porationoftheseinstructionsdemonstratesHAB’sinterestinimprovingthequalityoflocal decisions on housing developmentproposals.

HAB’s Implications on Communities

The establishment of the HAB hasraised questions for advocates and oppo-sition, alike.Advocates ofHAB, such asowners and developers, see this additionasanopportunitytoprovidefaster,easier,and less expensive appeals for housingdevelopment proposals. In the past, de-velopers have encountered resistance inthe form of unnecessary regulations, anonerousapprovalprocess,orunreasonabledenials.Additionaldelayscanresultfromneighborhood opposition, which can usetheappealsprocesstodelayprojectdevel-opment,sometimesformanyyears.Thesedelays either add significantly to theulti-mate cost of development, or simplydis-couragehousing construction.Previously,developerswhobroughtappealstothetrialcourts saw extensivewaiting periods andhigh costs of litigation.As somemunici-palitiesmaintaineda“sosueus”posture,developersdeferredfrompursuingprojectsin thosecommunities.These factorshavehadadirect impacton thehousingavail-ability in New Hampshire, which led tomany advocating for the implementationofHABtohelpwiththiscrisis. CriticsoftheHABhaveclaimedthatitrunsrough-shodoverlocalcontrol,thatitbypasseslocallanduseregulations,andthat its decisions are made by unelectedmembers.Theseclaimsignorethefactthatthe existence of theHABhas no bearingonhowlocalboardsmaketheirdecisions,thattheHABhasnopowertobypasslocalregulations,and that theHAB’smembersareappointedbytheSupremeCourtbasedontheirqualifications.Itisanon-politicalbody.Whatistrue,however,isthattheex-istenceoftheHABislikelytoincreasethenumberofappealsoflocallanduseboarddecisions, reflecting a latent demand foraccesstojustice. Ultimately, the establishment of theHousingAppealsBoardhasofferedprop-ertyownersanddevelopers–andabutters,too–theopportunitytoappeallocaldeci-sions on housing through a faster, easier,andlessexpensiveprocess.Asaresult, itis hoped that theHABwill helpmitigatethehousingcrisisaswecontinuetoseede-mandgrow,andcostsrise.

Jacquelyn Pariseau is a second-year law student at UNH Law School and is the Wil-liam Craig Legal Fellow at New Hamp-shire Housing.

Benjamin Frost is New Hampshire Hous-ing’s Deputy Executive Director and Chief Legal Officer.

The New Hampshire Housing Appeals Board

Pariseau Frost

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bly,therecreation/parkscommission,theac-tualorganizationalactivitiesmaytakeplaceinthegrayareaofthelaw.Theselectboardmay,forexample, tell thelocalchamberofcommercethatitdidsuchagreatjobplan-ningtheeventslastyear,thatitshouldbringforwardaproposalforthisyear’sevents.Thelanguageusedbytheboardmaymerelybean invitation – “everyone loved the paradeyouorganizedlastyear,areyouplanningondoingonethisyear?”Orthelanguagecouldclearlybetheparlanceofappointment–“ev-eryone loved theparadeyouorganized lastyear,we’dliketoappointyoutoorganizethetown’sparadethisyear.” Or the language could bemore vague–“everyonelovedtheparadeyouorganizedlastyear,butwe’dliketomakesomesugges-tionsastoitsorganizationthisyear.”Ifthislanguage goes on to suggest appointing orsendingoneormoreselectboardmembers(orothertownofficials)totheplanningses-sionsfortheevent,thatwouldappeartotipthe scales toward an “advisory committee”beingformed.If,however,theboardmerelygoesontosuggestthattheantiquecarsgobe-forethecandythrowers,butthereisnodefi-niteinvolvement,thatwouldappeartotipthescales intheotherdirection.Insum,whereexactly the line isbetweenapurelyprivateproposaltorequestshuttingdownmainstreetforaparadeonthemorningoftheFourthandan entirely public “advisory committee” tosuggestthesamekindofthingissomethingthatwillhavetobedeterminedonacase-by-casebasisundercurrentlaw. Thebetterapproach–forplanningpub-

InAndrews v. Kearsarge Lighting Pre-cinct, No. 212-2018-CV-00049 (CarrollCo.Super.Ct.Sept.14,2021),thesuperiorcourt affirmed aZBAdecision thatSTRswere prohibited under the zoning ordi-nance unless they were owner-occupied.The ordinance expressly required owneroccupancy, so the interpretation was notdifficult, but the property owner raised anumberofconstitutionalandotherclaims,allofwhichthecourtrejected. In Town of Conway v. Kudrick, No.212-2021-CV-00074 (Carroll Co. Super.Ct. Jan. 25, 2022), the same judge ruledthatConway’s ordinance did not prohibitnon-owner-occupied STRs, interpretingthe ordinance’s definition of “dwellingunit”–which differed from the definitionsin theothercases–asbroadenough to in-cludeSTRs. The court in the Conway case alsostated that a short-term rental is a “resi-dentialuse,”aquestionableconclusion.Anon-owner-occupiedSTRisthefunctionalequivalentofahotel;itoffersovernightac-commodationstothepublicforcompensa-tion, itcompetesdirectlywithhotels,andit is in fact squarelywithin thedefinitionof“hotel”underthemealsandroomstaxstatute,RSA78-A.Noonewouldsuggestthatahotelisaresidentialuse. BoththeKearsarge Lighting Precinct decisionandtheConwaydecisionarecur-rentlyonappealtothesupremecourt,butthe lesson of both cases, as well as thePortsmouthcase,isthatwhetherSTRsarepermittedrequirescarefulinterpretationof

thezoningordinance,andiftheordinanceisunclear,aclarifyingamendmentisinor-der. Some twodozenmunicipalities havetakenaction toclarify the statusofSTRsunder their ordinances; others should dothesame. STRs,oratleastnon-owner-occupiedSTRs,arealsosubjecttositeplanreviewunderRSA674:43inthosemunicipalitiesthathavegiventheplanningboardthatau-thority,unlessoneacceptsthepropositionthatahotelisa“residentialuse.” Meanwhile, STR owners, many ofthem out-of-state real estate investors,havemaderepeatedattemptstogettheleg-islaturetopreemptlocalauthoritybypro-hibiting ordinance provisions that restrictSTRs.Thoseeffortshaveuniformlyfailed,astheyshould–theHousekilledsuchabillthisyearaftertheSenatepassedit. Likeanyotheruseof land,STRsareandshouldberegulatedatthelocallevel;each municipality should remain free todecidewhat uses are allowed andwhere.Local officials should be reviewing theirzoning ordinances (preferably with legalcounsel)todecidewhetherandhowtoad-dressSTRs,andshouldremainvigilanttoprevent legislative interferencewith localdecisionmaking.

Cordell Johnston recently retired after 18 years as Government Affairs Counsel at the New Hampshire Municipal Asso-ciation, and he is now in private practice representing municipalities. He can be reached at 603-748-4019 or [email protected]

liccelebrations,atleast–istofollowtheoldlawyer’scredoandbecautious.RSA91-A:2,III(d) and RSA 91-A:2-a, II jointly warnagainst trying tocircumvent the“spirit andpurpose”oftheRight-to-KnowLaw.Andthepublicprobablyexpectsthatcertaincelebra-tionswilloccureveryyear.Assuch,itmaybemorelaborious,butcertainlylessriskytoconsideranyplanningofpubliccelebrationstobemeetingssubjecttotheRight-to-KnowLaw.

Natch Greyes advocates for the New Hamp-shire Municipal Association’s 234 member municipalities at the New Hampshire legisla-ture and provides legal advice and training to NHMA members and partner organizations. He is routinely featured in New Hampshire-based publications focusing on a municipal audience, and is chair of the municipal bar section.

y Zoning from page 33y Law from page 32

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“In sum, where exactly the line is between a purely private proposal to request shutting down main street for a parade on the morning of the Fourth and an entirely public ‘advisory committee’ to suggest the same kind of thing is something that will have to be determined on a case-by-case basis under current law.”

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Court News

Hon. Christopher M. KeatingN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Scott W. MurrayN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Christine W. CasaN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Kevin P. RauseoN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Daniel J. SwegartN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Philip D. CrossN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Todd H. PrevettN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Ellen Vars ChristoN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. Michael J. ZainoN.H. Circuit Court

Hon. James D. O’Neill, IIIN.H. Superior Court

eff. 3/30/22

Hon. Marguerite L. WagelingN.H. Superior Court

eff. 3/31/22

Hon. Edwin W. KellyN.H. Circuit Court

eff. 12/11/21

Master Thomas G. CooperN.H. Circuit Court

eff. 6/1/22

Hon. Mark D. AttorriN.H. Superior Court

Hon. Jacki A. SmithN.H. Superior Court

Hon. Samantha D. ElliottU.S. District Court

Newly-Appointed Judges in 2022

Retired Judges in 2021-2022


AT-A-GLANCE continued on page 38

Supreme Court At-a-Glance

May 2022

Constitutional Law

Theresa Norelli & a. v. Secretary of State & a., No 2022-0184May 12, 2022

• Whether the current statute establishingadistrictplanforNewHampshire’stwocongressionaldistrictsviolatesArticle I,Section2of theUnitedStatesConstitu-tionand if so,whether theNewHamp-shireSupremeCourtmustestablishanewdistrictplanifthelegislaturefailstodosoinaccordancewithfederalconstitutionalrequirements?

TheplaintiffsfiledacomplaintagainsttheSecretaryofStatechallengingtheconsti-tutionalityofNewHampshire’scurrentcon-gressionaldistrictsarguingthatthedistrictsare unconstitutionallymalapportioned as aresultofchangesinpopulationreportedbythe2020UnitedStatescensus. Theplain-tiffs alleged that the 2020 Census BureaudatarenderedtheNewHampshirefirstcon-gressional district significantly overpopu-lated and the second congressional districtsignificantly underpopulated. Therefore,the plaintiffs argued that the existing con-gressionaldistrictconfigurationsareuncon-stitutionallymalapportioned and if used infuture elections the plaintiffs’ votes wouldbe unconstitutionally diluted because thefirst district is significantly larger than thesecond congressional district. As a result,the plaintiffs sought a declaration that theexisting congressional districting statute isunconstitutionalandrequestedthatthecourtestablish a new district plan. The Courtheld that the court had jurisdiction to ruleon the constitutionality of RSA 662:1 andtoprovide a remedy if the currentdistrict-ingstatuteisunconstitutionalandiftheleg-islaturedoesnottimelyenactadistrictplan.TheCourtdecidedthecasesolelyundertheUnitedStatesConstitution.TheCourtheldthatunderthesecondprongoftheKarchertest theState failed toshowthat thepopu-lationdifferencesbetweentheexistingcon-gressionaldistrictsarenecessarytoachievesomelegitimatestateobjectiveandthereforefound theexistingcongressionaldistrictingstatute RSA 662:1 violatedArticle I, Sec-tion 2 of the United States Constitution.The Court held that the state’s populationchangesasreflectedinthe2020censusren-dered the existing congressional districtingstatute RSA 622:1 unconstitutional undertheUnitedStatesConstitutionandtheCourtindicateditwouldtakethenecessarystepstoformulateadistrictplanthatcomplieswithall applicable laws in order to protect thefundamentalrightsofNewHampshirevot-ers.TheCourtheldthatthe“leastchange”approachwasthecorrectapproachtoapplyin formulatingacongressional redistrictingplan.(Note:Aftertheopinionwasissued,theNewHampshireSupremeCourtreleasedanOrderadoptingthecongressionaldistrictplan of the Court appointed Special Mas-terasthecongressionaldistrictplanfortheStateofNewHampshire).

McLane Middleton of Manchester (Steven Dutton on the brief), Paul Twomey of Epsom on the brief, Elias Law Group of Seattle, WA (Abha Khanna and Jonathan Hawley on the brief), Elias Law Group of Washington, D.C. (Aaron Mukerji on the brief) and Perkins Coy of Washington, D.C. (John Devaney on the brief and orally) for the plaintiffs. John Formelt, Attorney General and Anthony Galdieri, Solicitor General, (Myles Matte-

son, assistant attorney general, on the joint brief and orally and Anne Edwards, associ-ate attorney general, and Matthew Conley, attorney on the joint brief) for the Secretary of State and John Formella, Attorney Gener-al and Anthony Galdieri, Solicitor General (Samuel Garland, Senior Assistant Attorney General on the joint brief and orally) for the State of New Hampshire. Lehman Major List of Concord (Sean List on the joint brief and orally) for the Speaker of the New Hamp-shire House of Representatives and (Richard Lehmann on the joint brief and orally) for the President of the New Hampshire Sen-ate. Shaheen & Gordon of Concord (James Armillay, Jr. , S. Amy Spencer and Olivia Bensinger on the memorandum of law) for the New Hampshire Senate Minority Leader and the New Hampshire House of Repre-sentatives Minority Leader, as amici cur-iae. American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire Foundation of Concord (Henry Klementowicz on the brief and orally and Gilles Bissonnette on the brief) as amicus curiae.

Criminal Law

State of New Hampshire v. Robert Leroux, No. 2021-0147May 24, 2022Affirmed.

• Whether the trialcourterred indenyingthedefendant’smotion todismissbasedupon insufficiency of allegations in thecomplaintandbyallowingtheintroduc-tionofcertifiedDepartmentofMotorVe-hiclerecordsforthepurposeofestablish-ing a prior conviction for drivingwhileintoxicated?

The defendant was stopped by policefor a traffic violation on a public way inJuly 2018. He was subsequently arrestedand charged with driving after his licensewassuspended.Thecomplaintallegedthatthedefendant“knowingly[drove]acertainmotor vehicle…after his operator’s privi-legehadbeensuspendedbythedirectorofmotorvehiclesforDWI-secondoffense,on5/17/2010.” The state introduced twocer-tifiedDMVrecordsattrial,thedefendant’sdriver record report-driver history and anoticeoflicensesuspensionstatingthathislicensewassuspendedasaresultofhisLa-coniaDistrictCourtconvictionforDWIsec-ondoffensein2010.Thedefendantdidnotobject to theadmissionof these records atthetimetheywereofferedbutarguedlaterinapost-trialmemorandumthattheywerein-admissiblehearsay.AttheconclusionoftheState’scase,thedefendantmovedtodismissthecomplaintallegingitwasinsufficientbe-causeitstatedthathislicensewassuspendedbythedirectorofmotorvehiclesratherthanacourt.Thetrialcourt’sorderconvictedthedefendant of driving after his license wassuspended.Thedefendantappealedarguingthattheallegationsinthecomplaintwerein-sufficient.ThisCourtheldthatbecausethedefendant’smotiontodismissbasedonsuf-ficiencyof the complaintwasnotmade inatimelyfashionbeforetrial,thedefendant’sappealhadtobereviewedunderaplainer-rorstandard.Thatis,theremustbeerror,theerrormustbeplain,andtheerrormustaffectsubstantialrights.Becausenothinginthere-cordindicatedthatthatamorespecificcom-plaintwouldhaveledtoadifferentoutcome,theCourtaffirmedthetrialcourt’sdenialoftheMotiontoDismiss.ThedefendantalsoarguedthatthetrialcourterredinadmittingthecertifiedDMVrecordsofhispriorDWIconviction,arguingthattheywereinadmis-

siblehearsay. Becausethedefendant’sob-jectiontotheadmissionoftheDMVrecordswas not contemporaneous and was onlymadeaftertheStatehadresteditscase,theCourtfoundthattheissuewasnotproperlypreservedforitsreview.John Formella,AttorneyGeneral, andAn-thonyJ.Galdieri,solicitorgeneral(WestonSageronthebriefandZacharyHighamoral-ly),fortheState.ChristopherJohnson,ChiefAppellateDefender,ofConcordonthebriefandorally,forthedefendant.FamilyLaw

S.C. v. G.C., No. 2021-0194May 11, 2022Vacated and remanded.

• Whether the trial court erred in relyingsolelyontheplaintiff’sin-personcontactwiththedefendantasthebasisofitsde-cisiontodenytherequestforadomesticviolenceprotectiveorder?

The plaintiff filed a petition for a do-mesticviolenceprotectiveorderagainstherformerspouseandfatherofherchild.Intheyearbeforetheincidentgivingrisetothepe-tition, followinganaltercation in themari-talhomewiththeplaintiffwhiletheywerestillmarriedandlivingtogether, thedefen-danthusbandpleadguiltytoonedomestic-violence-relatedcriminalthreateningchargeandadmittedtotheconductunderlyingonechargeofdomesticviolencesimpleassaulttoenteradiversionprogramonthatcharge.InMay2020,whilestilllivingtogether,an-otheraltercationoccurredbetweentheplain-tiffand thedefendant. InearlyJuly2020,the plaintiff told the defendant shewantedadivorceandthereaftershefiledadomes-ticviolencepetitionagainsthimonJuly10,2020.BetweenthefilingofthepetitionandDecember2020,theplaintiffmovedoutofthemarital home and filed a divorce peti-tion against the defendant. There was nohearingontheJuly10,2020petitionbeforetheplaintifffiledamotion for exparte re-

lief under the same docket number as theoriginalpetitionforadomesticviolencepro-tectiveorder.AhearingoccurredontheexpartefilingonDecember18,2020and theCourt entered a consolidatedorder inboththe divorce and domestic violence docketsregardingcustodyandvisitationofthepar-ties’ child. Amongother things, theCourtenteredacivilrestrainingorderprohibitingthe defendant form having contacting orcommunicatingwiththeplaintiffexceptforpoliteandchildfocusedelectroniccommu-nication.AfinalhearingontheJuly10peti-tionwasnotscheduled.AftertheDecember18,2020civil restrainingorder, thepartiescommunicatedbyphone,textandinpersonoverthecourseofseveralmonths,notallofwhichwaschildrelated.TheplaintifffiledanotherdomesticviolencepetitiononFebru-ary25,2021whichincludedtheeventsfromthe June 2019 andMay 2020 altercations.The plaintiff’s petition indicated that thedefendant continued to abuse, manipulateandthreatenherdespitethe2019domesticviolence related conviction, the July 2020domesticviolencepetitionand theDecem-ber18,2020civilrestrainingorder.Attheevidentiaryhearing,theplaintiffanddefen-dantbothtestifiedtotimeswhentheplaintiffhadbeenat thedefendant’shomeafter theDecember 18, 2020 order. The trial courtdenied the plaintiff’s petition because shefailed to establish a credible threat to hersafetybaseduponheradmittedpresenceinthe defendant’s home multiple times dur-ing the timeofherallegations. TheCourtagreedwith theplaintiff’sargumentonap-pealthatthecourterredasamatteroflawwhenitdeterminedthatshefailedtoestab-lish a credible present threat to her safetybased solely on her presence at the defen-dant’shomeduring the timeofher allega-tionsofabusebythedefendant.TheCourtrecognizedanddiscussedthecomplexityofdomestic violence relationshipswhere vic-timsstaywithandreturntoabusers.Relyingoncaselaw, thelanguageofRSA173-B:5andtheoverallstatutoryscheme,theCourtheld that the plaintiff’s in-person contactwiththedefendantduringthetimeframeoftheallegedabuseisaninsufficientbasisforatrialcourttofindthattheplaintiffhasnotmetherburdenofprovingacrediblepresentthreattohersafety.

Wiberg Law Office of Portsmouth (Sven Wi-berg on the brief and orally) for the plaintiff. Hanlon & Zubkus of Rochester (Mark Han-lon on the brief and orally) for the defendant.

Sarah E. Lavoie

Partner at Burns, Bryant, Cox,

Rockefeller & Durkin Dover, NH

At-a-Glance Contributor


Supreme Court Orders

ADM-2013-0014, In the Matter of Elizabeth A. Willhite, Esquire

OnMarch 28, 2013, the court sus-pendedAttorneyElizabethA.WillhitefromthepracticeoflawinNewHampshireforherfailuretofileher2012trustaccountingcertificateandherfailuretopaythedelin-quencyfeeintheamountof$300assessedpursuant to the then-applicableversionof

US District Court Decision Listing

*Published__________________________________

MEDICALMALPRACTICE;PERSONALINJURY

5/6/22 Kasey Woodman v. United States of AmericaCaseNo.18-cv-156-LM,2022DNH060*

AfterabenchtrialandapplyingWashingtonlaw, the court found theUnitedStates li-ableformedicalmalpracticerelatingtotherepairofarectovaginalfistulaataUnitedStatesArmyhospital.The court awarded$5,000,000indamagesforpainandsuffer-ingtotheplaintiffand$150,000indamagesfor lossofconsortium toherex-husband.The court dismissed an alternative claimfor failure toobtain informedconsent forlackofjurisdictionandfoundthatanevi-dentiarychallengetothetestimonyofoneofplaintiff’sexpertswasuntimelybecauseanobjectionwasnotraisedattheappropri-atetimeduringtrial.71pages.ChiefJudge

LandyaMcCafferty.________________________________

SUPPRESSION

5/4/22United States v. DexterCaseNo.19-cr-07-01-LM;2022DNH059*

Thedefendantmovedtosuppressevidencefoundsubsequenttoatrafficstopforspeed-ingonI-95.Duringthestop,thetroopersawseveralsuspiciousitemsinthedefendant’scar,includingballed-upcottonthatappearedtohavebeenpulledofftheendsofQ-tipsandusedasafilterfortakingdrugsintra-venously.Thecourtfoundthatthetrooperprolongedthestopbyspendingmorethan20minutesconductingrecordchecksofthetwopassengers.Thecourtheld,however,that theadditional timewassupportedbyreasonable suspicion that criminal activ-itywasafoot,basedonthepiecesofgrayanddirtyballed-upcotton.Thecourtthusdenied themotion to suppress. 22 pages.ChiefJudgeLandyaMcCafferty.

ChiefJudgeBruceA.Harwoodhasissuedthefollowingopinion:

Note: Thefull textof theopinionbelowwillbeavailableon theBankruptcyCourt’swebsiteatwww.nhb.uscourts.gov.

In re Brady,2022BNH003,issuedJune3,2022(Harwood,C.J.)(unpublished)(sustain-ingthetrustee’sobjectiontothedebtor’sassertionofaseparatehomesteadexemptionunderRSA480:1onbehalfofhernon-debtorspouseasheisnotanownerofthecouple’sresidence, and sustaining the trustee’s objection to thedebtor’s similar amendment toScheduleDasthehomesteadexemptiondoesnotcreateastatutoryorothertypeoflienonthecouple’sresidenceinfavorofanon-debtor,non-ownerspouse).

US Bankruptcy Court Opinion Summary

Personal Injury Law

Debbie Banaian v. Ann Elizabeth Bascom & a.May 11, 20222020-0496

• Whetherthetrialcourterredingrantingmotions to dismiss filed by defendantswhoretweetedadefamatorytweetorigi-nallysentbyanotherindividual?

Theplaintiff, amiddle school teacher,allegedinhercomplaintfordefamationandrecklessinflictionofemotionaldistressthatahighschoolstudenthackedtheplaintiff’sschoolwebpagewhichwasthenmanipulat-edtosuggestthattheplaintiffwassexuallyperverted and was seeking sexual liaisonswithstudentsandtheirparents.Anotherstu-denttookaphotoofthehackedwebsiteandtweeteditonTwitter.Otherdefendants(“theretweeter defendants”) retweeted the origi-nal tweet. The plaintiff alleged damagesfinancial, physical and emotional damagesarisingoutof the incident. The trial courtgrantedtheretweeterdefendants’motiontodismissonthebasisthattheywereentitledtoimmunityasuserswithinthemeaningoftheCommunicationsDecencyAct. TheCourtfound that the retweeter defendants wereusersofan interactivecomputer serviceasdefinedundersection230oftheCommuni-cationsDecencyAct.Therefore,theCom-municationsDecencyActprovidesimmuni-tyfromsuit,includingclaimsfordefamationfor retweeting content created by another,uponuserswhorepostthecontentofothers.

Shaughnessy Raiche of Bedford (Brian Shaughnessy on the brief and orally) for the plaintiff. Morrison Mahoney of Manchester (Adam Mordecai on the brief and orally) for defendant Jacob MacDuffie. Desmarais Law Group of Manchester (Debra Mayotte on the brief and orally) for defendant, Ka-tie Moulton. Lucas Law of Wolfeboro (Al-len Lucas on the memorandum of law) for defendant Ethan Hollen. Cronin Bisson & Zalinsky of Manchester (Laura Carlier on the memorandum of law) for defendant Shannon Bossidy. Maggette, Friedman & Feeney of Concord (Christine Friedman on the memorandum of law) for defendant Aaron Bliss. Brady/Donahue of Springfield, Vermont (John Brady on the brief) for defen-dant Bryan Gagnon.

Probate Law

In re The Omega Trust, No. 2021-0138May 12, 2022Reversed and remanded.

• Whetherthetrialcourterredindismiss-ing a petition to validate a purportedamendmenttotheOmegaTrust?

ThepetitionerfiledapetitiontovalidateapurportedamendmenttotheOmegaTrust,a trust established by the grantor, MarkFrankDouglas,whichwas amended twicein2015.In2016,thegrantorrequestedhisTrust Protector’s assistance in preparing athird amendment. The grantor informedhisTrustProtectorofhisrequestedchangesandhisTrustProtector assisted in draftinganemail to theGrantor’sattorneytomakethe requestedchanges to theOmegaTrust.The Grantor informed the trustee that hewasmakingchangestotheOmegaTrustandthathewascontactinghisattorneytoamendtheTrust.Thegrantorandhisattorneyex-changed emails which discussed, amongotherthings, theGrantor’sdesiretoamend

theOmegaTrustandhisinstructionsonhisrequestedchanges. TheGrantordiedafterthe email exchanges with his attorney butbeforeathirdamendmentwassigned.Thepetitioner’s petition requested that the trialcourtfindthattheseriesofemailsbetweenthe Grantor and his attorney constituted avalidthirdamendtotheOmegaTrust.Thespecialtrusteefiledamotiontodismissthepetitionwhichthetrialcourtgrantedonthebasis that the exchange of emails did notsubstantially complywith the terms of theOmegaTrust regarding amendments. Thepetitioner appealed arguing that the trialcourterredbecause thegrantorclearlyandunequivocallysought toamendtheOmegaTrust.ThetrusteeandspecialtrusteearguedthattheTrust’smethodforamendmentwasexclusive. The Court held that becausenothingintheOmegaTrust’stermsmadetheamendmentmethodsetforthintheOmegaTrustexclusive,amendmentviaothermeth-odswasnotprohibitedsolongasitdemon-stratedclearandconvincingevidenceofthegrantor’sintenttodoso.TheCourtleftthequestion of the grantor’s intent to the trialcourttodeterminebecauseitwasaquestionoffact. Casassa Law Office, (Lisa Bellanti, on the brief and orally) for the Petitioner. Bar-radale, O’Connell, Newkirk, & Dwyer of Bedford (Pamela Newkirk on the brief and orally) for the respondent – trustee. Sha-heen and Gordon of Concord (Benjamin Sir-acusa Hillman on the brief and orally and Stephanie Annunziata on the brief) for the respondent-special trustee.

Public Employee Labor Relations Board

Appeal of New Hampshire Troopers Asso-ciation & a., No. 2021-0027, 2021-0028May 12, 2022.Affirmed.

• Whether the New Hampshire PublicEmployee Labor Relations Board erredin ruling that the state legislature’s voteaccepting a fact-finder’s report and rec-ommendationswasnotbindingupontheStateofNewHampshire?

In 2018, the petitioner and the inter-venor unions represented several state em-ployeebargainingunitsnegotiatingthetermsofamulti-yearcollectivebargainingagree-ment.Thenegotiationsreachedanimpasse,andthepartiesengagedaneutralfactfindertoassistwithresolvingthedispute.Thefactfinderissuedareportwithrecommendationsforresolvingthedispute,includingsomecostitems,whichwereacceptedbytheunionsbutnottheGovernor.Thepartiesthenmovedtothenextsteptoresolvetheimpassebysub-mittingthereporttothestatelegislatureanditwasadopted.Theunionsfeltthattheleg-islature’svote,includingthecostitemsinthereport,wasbindingontheStateandtheStatedisagreed.TheSEAfiledapetitionforde-claratoryreliefrequestingafindingthat thelegislature’svoteonthecostitemscontainedinthereportwasbindingontheState.ThePublicEmployeesLaborRelationsBoardde-niedSEA’srequestindicatingthatthelegisla-ture’svotedidnotbindtheState.TheCourtfoundthatthePublicEmployeesLaborRe-lationsBoarddidnot errby ruling that thelegislature’svoteaccepting thefactfinder’sreportwasnotbindingupontheState.

Gary Snyder of Concord by brief for the pe-titioner. John Formella, Attorney General (Zachary Higham, assistant attorney gener-al, on the brief and orally) for the respondent. Milner & Krupski of Concord (John Krupski on the brief and orally) for the intervenors.

y At-A-Glance from page 37

Administrative Order 2022-02Holiday Schedule For Calendar Year 2023

Pursuant toitsrulemakingauthorityandRSA490:4, theSupremeCourtpromul-gatesthefollowingholidaysduringcalendaryear2023:

1. NewYear’sDay(observed) Monday January2,20232. MartinLutherKing,Jr. Monday January16,2023 CivilRightsDay3. Washington’sBirthday Monday February20,20234. MemorialDay Monday May29,20235. Juneteenth Monday June19,20236. IndependenceDay Tuesday July4,20237. LaborDay Monday September4,20238. ColumbusDay Monday October9,20239. VeteransDay(observed) Friday November10,202310.ThanksgivingDay Thursday November23,202311.DayafterThanksgiving Friday November24,202312.ChristmasDay Monday December25,2023

Courtsshallbeopenforthepurposeofconductingarraignments,pursuanttoRSA594:20-a,andforthepurposeofconductingGersteinhearings,pursuanttoDistrictCourtAdministrativeOrder91-01,onFriday,November24,2023.Date:May12,2022 Attest:TimothyA.Gudas,ClerkSupremeCourtofNewHampshire

SupremeCourtRule 50-A(2). On Sep-tember27,2021,AttorneyWillhitefiledapetitionforreinstatement,whichwasdeniedwithoutprejudicetoherfilingapetitionincompliancewithSupremeCourtRule50-A(2). On February 17, 2022,AttorneyWillhite filed a supplemental petition for


The Office of the Attorney General is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, handicapping condition, and/or disability.

For more information about the New Hampshire Department of Justice, please visit our website: www.doj.nh.gov.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OFCHARITABLE TRUSTS

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

In 1943, New Hampshire became the first state to create an office dedicated to the oversight of charitable trusts and organizations. The mission of the Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Unit is to protect the public’s interest in the organizations and assets committed to charitable purposes in this state. The unit currently oversees the activities of more than 11,600 registered charities and charitable organizations.

Qualified candidates are invited to apply for the position of Assistant Director of Charitable Trusts. The successful candidate will assist the Director to supervise, administer, and enforce charitable trusts, charitable solicitations, and charitable sales promotions; oversee compliance with charitable registration and annual reporting requirements; review and recommend actions to the Director with respect to legal, legislative, and administrative initiatives; investigate charitable organizations and trusts, participate in enforcement proceedings, and coordinate with other state and federal agencies in matters affecting charities and charitable trust law; research, draft, and file pleadings and represent the Director in court; review and recommend actions with respect to the Director’s administrative responsibilities concerning health care acquisition transactions, non-judicial settlement agreements involving trusts, release of institutional funds restrictions, and conservation easement amendments; and conduct training sessions and outreach designed to familiarize charities, attorneys, and other stakeholders with the laws regarding charitable organizations, charitable fundraising, investment, fiduciary responsibility, and other related topics.

The ideal candidate is a member of the New Hampshire Bar (or waiver eligible) with experience in the field of probate and trust law and the governance of charitable organizations. A genuine commitment to public service, collegiality, initiative, and capacity to work well under pressure are essential. Interested candidates should send cover letter and CV to: Sean P. Gill, Esq., Chief of Staff, New Hampshire Department of Justice at [email protected] or by mail to New Hampshire Department of Justice, 33 Capitol Street, Concord, NH 03301.

reinstatement.The supplemental petitionincluded a properly completed2012 trustaccountingcertificateandareceiptdemon-stratingherpaymentoftheassessed$300delinquencyfee.ThesupplementalpetitionwasalsoaccompaniedbyevidenceofAt-torneyWillhite’s continuing competenceandlearninginthelawandevidenceofhercontinuingmoralcharacterandfitness. OnMarch29,2022,thecourtgrantedAttorneyWillhite’s petition for reinstate-mentontheconditionthatshepay,withinthenext45days,heroutstandingbarduesandcourtfees.HavingreceivedinformationfromtheNewHampshireBarAssociationonMay 12, 2022, confirmingAttorneyWillhite’scompliancewiththosebarobliga-tions,thecourtordersthatAttorneyWillhitebereinstatedtothepracticeoflawinNewHampshire,effectiveimmediately. MacDonald,C.J.,andHicks,Bassett,HantzMarconi, andDonovan, JJ., con-curred.

ISSUED:May13,2022ATTEST:TimothyA.Gudas,Clerk

u

PursuanttoitsconstitutionalauthorityandpowersofgeneralsuperintendenceovertheNewHampshireBarAssociationanditsmembers,andpursuanttoSupremeCourtRule55,theNewHampshireSupremeCourtassesseachdues-payingmemberoftheas-sociationasofJune1,2022,asfollows,forthepurposeoffundingthePublicProtectionFund(PPF).

Membershipcategory PPFAssessmentActiveoverthreeyears $30

Judicial $30Part-timejudicial $30Activethreeyearsandunder $30Inactive $30Inactiveretired $5Probonoactive $0

PursuanttoitsconstitutionalauthorityandpowersofgeneralsuperintendenceovertheNewHampshireBarAssociationanditsmembers,andpursuanttoSupremeCourtRule58,thecourtassesseseachdues-payingmember of the association as of June 1,2022,asfollows,forthepurposeoffundingtheLawyersAssistanceProgram(LAP).

Membershipcategory LAPAssessmentActiveoverthreeyears $20Judicial $20Part-timejudicial $20Activethreeyearsandunder $20Inactive $20Inactiveretired $5Probonoactive $0

Themembers of the association ex-emptedfromthePPFassessmentbyorderdatedJuly22,1998,areexemptedfromtheassessmentforboththePPFandtheLAP.TheseassessmentsaredueandpayableonorbeforeJuly1,2022.IftheBoardofGover-norsoftheNewHampshireBarAssociationgrantsamember’srequestforabatementofbardues,itmaygrantawaiverofoneorbothassessments. TheNewHampshireBarAssociationshallcollecttheassessmentsfortheaccountofthePublicProtectionFundandtheLaw-yersAssistanceProgramandshallreporttothecourtonorbeforeSeptember15,2022,thenamesofthosemembersresponsiblefor

theassessmentswhohavenotfullypaid.

Issued:May18,2022ATTEST:TimothyA.Gudas,ClerkofCourtSupremeCourtofNewHampshire

u PursuanttoitsconstitutionalauthorityandpowersofgeneralsuperintendenceovertheNewHampshireBarAssociation anditsmembers, theSupremeCourt assesseseachmemberoftheassociation,asofJune1,2022,asfollows,forthepurposeoffund-ing theoperationsof theNewHampshireSupremeCourtAttorneyDisciplineSystem,including theProfessionalConductCom-mittee.

Membershipcategory AssessmentActive(overthreeyears) $220Active(throughthirdyearofadmission) $220Inactive $10ActiveMilitaryandActiveHonorary$0InactiveRetired,InactiveMilitaryandInactiveHonorary $0Full-timeJudicial $0Part-timeJudicial $0ProbonoActive $0

These assessments are due and pay-ableonorbeforeJuly1,2022.TheNewHampshireBarAssociationshallcollecttheassessment for the accountof theProfes-sionalConductCommitteeandshallreportto the court on or before September 15,2022,thenamesofmemberswhohavenotfullypaid.IftheBoardofGovernorsoftheNewHampshireBarAssociationgrants amember’srequestforabatementofbardues,itmaygrantawaiverofthisfee.


u PursuanttoitsconstitutionalauthorityandpowersofgeneralsuperintendenceovertheNewHampshireBarAssociationanditsmembers,andpursuanttoSupremeCourtRule53.3,theSupremeCourtsuspendstheassessmentofanannualfeetosupporttheoperationsoftheNHMCLEBoard.


u LD-2021-0012, In the Matter of

Robert M. Fojo, Esquire OnApril 26, 2022,AttorneyRobertM. Fojofiled a renewed and assented-torequesttoresign.Theassented-torequestwas accompaniedby his affidavit,whichsatisfies the requirements ofRule 37(11)andcomplieswithourordersdatedMarch11and22,2022. In accordancewithRule 37(11),At-torneyFojo’s resignation from the bar isaccepted. AttorneyFojo shall reimbursetheAttorneyDisciplineOfficeforthecostsincurredintheinvestigationandprosecutionofthismatter. MacDonald,C.J.,andHicks,Bassett,HantzMarconi, andDonovan, JJ., con-curred.

DATE:May18,2022ATTEST:TimothyA.Gudas,Clerk

Classifieds

LITIGATION ATTORNEY

McLane Middleton is seeking a litigation attorney with 3+ years’ experience with a general litigation background. This position can be based out of our Manchester, New Hampshire or Woburn, Mas-sachusetts office. McLane Middleton presents an opportunity for professional development and personal satisfaction in a fast-paced and stimulat-ing work environment.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ATTORNEY

McLane Middleton is seeking a commercial real estate attorney with 10+ years of experience for the Manchester, NH office. Admission in Massa-chusetts is a plus. Focus is on commercial financ-ing and purchases; experience in land use and title matters will be helpful. The successful candidate must possess superior academic credentials, communication and writing skills.

EMPLOYMENT LAW ATTORNEY

McLane Middleton is seeking an employment law attorney with a minimum of 3 years’ management-side employment law experience. This position can be based out of any of our five offices in northern New England, with flexibility for remote work. The ideal candidate will possess working knowledge of federal and state employment laws, wage and hour regulations, leaves of ab-sence, discipline and discharge issues and will have experience appearing before government agencies and preparing employee handbooks, employment-related contracts and workplace policies. The successful candidate must possess excellent academic credentials and communica-tion and writing skills. NH or MA Bar admission, with the expectation that the second admission will be obtained.

CYBERSECURITY ATTORNEY

McLane Middleton is seeking an attorney with 2 to 5 years of relevant experience and enthusiasm to join our thriving Cybersecurity and Privacy Group. This position can be based out of any of our five offices in northern New England, with flexibility for remote work. While cybersecurity and privacy knowledge and experience is preferred, it is not mandatory. Equally important is experience or strong interests/capabilities with technology and information systems. Other helpful experiences would include corporate/transactional, other busi-ness law, and e-discovery in business litigation. Finally, enthusiasm and a desire to take on chal-lenges in a relatively new and unique practice area is critical. The successful candidate must possess excellent academic credentials and communica-tion and writing skills.

PATENT ATTORNEY

McLane Middleton is seeking an experienced patent attorney (5+ years) for our Manchester, NH office either as an employee or on a contractual basis. Ideally, this individual will have an exist-ing client base with a focus on patent drafting and U.S./foreign prosecution experience. Prefer technical expertise in the areas of biotechnology, chemistry, materials science software and/or electrical.

McLane Middleton presents an opportunity for professional development and personal satisfac-tion in a fast-paced and motivating work environ-ment. Competitive compensation and benefits package offered.

Qualified applicants should direct resume and cover letter to: Jessica Boisvert, Attorney Hiring Coordinator, [email protected].


Classifieds

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY – Small general practice firm. Experience preferred in at least one of our practice areas: litigation, real estate, municipal and business. MA and NH bar admission preferred. Full time, on-site in Tyngsboro. Salary negotiable.Send cover letter, resume, writing sample, salary requirements and references to: Email: [email protected], Fax: 978-649-9306. Mail: PO Box 721, Tyngsboro, MA 01879.

ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY – Well established Claremont, New Hampshire Law Firm is seeking a motivated associate attorney. Buckley & Zopf is a busy general practice firm which has been serving the Sullivan County/Upper Valley area for over 75 years. We offer a small firm atmosphere with a fast track to partnership for the right candidate. Reply to [email protected].

ASSOCIATE: Wiberg Law Office, PLLC is seeking an at-torney with 2+ yrs criminal defense experience for felony and misdemeanor practice with heavy concentration in DWI and DV. Must be admitted to practice in NH. Unique fast track opportunity for the right candidate. Please send your resume in confidence to [email protected].

JUNIOR ASSOCIATE – Full time Junior Associate sought for busy firm in Keene, NH. The Law Offices of Wyatt & Associates represents employees whose rights have been violated in the workplace. Responsibilities include: Client interviewing and intake; Drafting discrimination charges; court complaints; discovery documents, motions, etc; General litigation projects and support; Legal research and writing. We assist clients in all states in New England as well as in NY. Applicants already admitted into one of the New England (or NY) state bars preferred, but applicants taking the Bar in July 2022 are also encouraged to apply. Demonstrated experience or exposure to employment law is a plus, but not required. We are currently on a hybrid schedule of 1 day per week in office (otherwise remote, except for travel related to client matters). Please email a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATE – Concord, NH law firm seeks to hire a real estate associate with 5+ years’ experi-ence in the area of commercial and residential real estate handling closings, purchase and sale agreements, leases, financings, and title matters. Health insurance and 401(k) available for full-time employees. Please contact Deb Alfano at [email protected], 4 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301 or 603.715.2543.

LITIGATION ATTORNEY – Getman, Schulthess, Steere & Poulin, P.A., seeks a full time attorney with preferably 2 years of litigation experience, and insurance defense familiarity helpful. Must be admitted to the NH Bar with admission to the Maine, Massachusetts or Vermont Bar a plus. Please e-mail cover letter, writing sample, resume and references to Administrator at [email protected]. All inquiries held in strict confidence.

ESTATE PLANNING/PROBATE ATTORNEY – Well established, mid-sized, Nashua multi-practice firm, is seeking an estate planning/probate attorney to take over an existing position. Two to four years of experience is preferred but not required. An interest in Medicaid plan-ning and guardianships is a plus. Candidates should be licensed to practice in New Hampshire or possess a license from a reciprocal state. Excellent benefits package and competitive salary. Email Resume and salary requirements to Veronica Hamilton at [email protected].

ATTORNEY – Boxer Blake & Moore PLLC, a regional law firm located in Springfield, Vermont, seeks an attorney to join its civil litigation practice. The position requires prior relevant experience and/or exemplary academic credentials, demonstrated research and writing ability, and strong recommendations. Current license to practice law in Vermont or genuine intention and ability to become licensed in Vermont at earliest opportunity are required. Please respond to Boxer Blake & Moore PLLC, c/o Denise M. Smith, P.O. Box 948, Springfield, VT 05156-0948 or via email to [email protected].

ATTORNEY III – The Department of Safety is seeking a NH admitted attorney to serve as a full time Attorney III located at the Concord office. Minimum qualifications include be-ing a member of the NH Bar and five years’ experience in the active practice of law. To see the full job description and contact information, please go to http://das.nh.gov/jobsearch/employment.aspx and type in Job ID #25455.

CITY ATTORNEY: The City of Portsmouth’s City At-torney is responsible for department level management of the City’s Legal Department; providing legal counsel, representation, advocacy and reconciliation services for the City as embodied by its City Council, City Manager, the City’s political subdivisions and utilities, boards, com-mittees, commissions, charter departments and all other departments and operating units of the City. A candidate for this position works under the administrative direction of the City Manager, rendering legal services to all City Departments. Incumbent would establish objectives, own performance standards and assumes direct accountability for department results; consults with City Manager regard-ing clarification, interpretation, or exception to municipal policy; develops and administers departmental policies, goals, objectives and budget and resolves department and City-wide conflicts. https://nh-portsmouth.civic-plushrms.com/CareerPortal/JobDetail.aspx?RequisitionId=97669&SourceId=7165

LEGISLATIVE AND BILL DRAFTING ATTORNEY. Office of Legislative Services - The General Court’s Office of Legislative Services (OLS) is seeking a full-time attorney in its Legal and Drafting Division at the State House in Concord. Responsibilities include: drafting legislation and amendments for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; ensuring that all legislative documents meet the technical and editorial standards of OLS; advising members of the legislature in resolving practical, technical, and legal issues in their drafting requests; compilation and review of statutory changes enacted in each legislative session for publication in the New Hampshire Revised statutes annotated (RSA); and assisting the OLS Admin-istrative Rules Division in reviewing and presenting agency rules to the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. Candidates for the position must be a graduate of an accredited law school and eligible to become a member of the NH Bar Association. More information may be found at www.gencourt.state.nh.us . Minimum Salary: $71,136. The position will remain open until filled. To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter to: David J. Alukonis, Director, Office of Legislative Services, [email protected].

ATTORNEY: Partner track opportunity in a well-estab-lished Southern VT/NH law firm. Experience preferred, but newly admitted attorneys with a strong work ethic and motivation will be considered too. We are a general practice firm, licensed in NH and VT, with an emphasis on civil litigation, family law, real estate, estate planning, and probate. Competitive pay and benefits offered. Please send your resume and cover letter to: Steve Bonnette, Law Office of Steve J. Bonnette, P.C., 20 Central Square Suite 2A, Keene, NH 03431 or [email protected].

DEPUTY CHIEF COUNSEL – The Committee for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, is seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as Deputy Chief Counsel of the Mental Health Litiga-tion Division. We provide trial and appellate representation to indigent persons when petitions seeking commitment to public or private psychiatric facilities and petitions seeking to impose guardianships are filed against them. The Deputy Chief Counsel of the Mental Health Litigation Division reports to the Chief Counsel and is a member of CPCS Senior Leadership, which develops and implements agency fiscal, operational, human resource, and legislative policies. Please go to https://careers-publiccounsel.icims.com/jobs/2180/deputy-chief-counsel%2c-men-tal-health-litigation-division/job for further information, including additional position responsibilities and detailed qualifications, and instructions on how to apply.

PARALEGAL – Getman, Schulthess, Steere & Poulin, P.A. a Manchester, NH law firm seeks a full time Paralegal with 3-5 years’ litigation experience. Must be detail-oriented and have the ability to work independently. We offer a competitive salary and benefits which include medical, dental, disability and life insurance, 401 (k), paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays. Potential for remote work options. Send resume via email to [email protected].

PARALEGAL – Small general practice firm. Experience preferred in at least one of our practice areas: litigation, real estate, municipal and business. Immediate opening, full time, on site in Tyngsboro. Send cover letter, resume, salary requirements and references to: Email: [email protected], Fax: 978-649-9306. Mail: PO Box 721, Tyngsboro, MA 01879.

PART-TIME PARALEGAL – Law office located in Hen-niker/Hillsboro area seeks part-time (20 hours/week) paralegal. Will consider full-time if desired. Successful candidate will have excellent organizational and communi-cation skills. Ability to multi-task is essential. Experience supporting attorneys in real estate, probate and/or litigation a plus. Email resume and salary requirements to: [email protected].

FULL-TIME LEGAL ASSISTANT – Getman, Schulthess, Steere & Poulin, P.A. a Manchester, NH law firm seeks a full time legal assistant with 3-5 years’ litigation experience. Must be detail-oriented, have experience with transcription and have the ability to work independently. We offer a competitive salary and benefits which include medical, dental, disability and life insurance, 401 (k), paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays. Potential for remote work options. Send resume via email to [email protected].

LEGAL ADMIN – Cronin Bisson & Zalinsky, P.C., a mid-size Manchester law firm, is seeking a legal admin with at least 3 years of experience, for a busy practice offering a full range of legal services. Ideal candidate must have experience working in multiple practice areas: Real Estate and Business law a plus. Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment, be proficient in Microsoft Office, ECF, and possess excellent organizational skills. If you are a self-motivated team player that is able to multi-task and work with multiple timekeepers, this position may be for you. We offer a competitive compensation based on experience and a generous benefits package. Benefits Include: 401(k); 401(k) matching; Paid Health insurance; Paid Life insurance; and Paid time off. Please respond by e-mail with your cover letter detailing your salary require-ments and resume to Barbara Morgan, Administator, [email protected].

LOOKING FOR PEOPLE wishing to add another revenue stream to his/her practice, retiring, running from the law, working in financial services, from anywhere in the US as online/remote work options available. We pay for all necessary professional state and federal licensing. To learn more, call or text “NHBar” to 603-348-5837.

WILL SEARCH

LOOKING FOR THE ATTORNEY who prepared the WILL for Robert and Marilyn Gasser of Grantham, NH who are recently deceased. If you have any information please call Jennifer Gasser 617 290 9047.

Part-time Office Administrative Assistant or Paralegal

Prunier & Prolman, P.A., a small Nashualaw firm is looking for a part-time officeadministrative assistant or paralegal to joinourfirmoftwolawyersthreedaysaweek.

Primary responsibilities will be to draftcorrespondenceandotherformaldocuments,preparedeeds,realestatedocuments,leases,assist with closings, schedule appointmentsand events, generate, receive and maintainconfidentialandsensitivefiles,andperformallotherofficetaskswhennecessary.

Ideal Candidates will have an associate’sdegree or paralegal certification with 3-5years of previous legal and/or paralegalexperience, excellent computer skillsincluding MS Word and Excel, excellent

written and verbal communication skills,andtheabilitytoworkwellwithothersandindependently.

Thisisabusinesscasualoffice,andagreatopportunity for someone looking for part-time work in a family-friendly workingenvironment. We are offering the rightcandidate a competitive salary, 10 paidholidays,andtwoweeks’vacationperyear.Qualified retirees who are looking to re-enter theworking field are alsowelcomedtoapply.

Motivatedcandidatesshouldsubmitaresumewithcoverletterstatingsalaryrequirementsto:JeanneDougherty,LegalAdministrator,at:[email protected].

RANSMEIER&SPELLMANP.C.isseekingtofillthefollowingpositionsinitsCon-cordoffice,whichofferanexcellentopportunitytojoinafirmcommittedtodeliveringhigh-qualitylegalserviceswhilemaintainingacollaborativeandcollegialworkenviron-ment.Thefirmoffersacompetitivecompensationandbenefitspackagecommensuratewithqualificationsandexperience,work-lifebalance,andtheoptionforsomeremotework.

Toapplyforanyofthebelowpositions,pleasesubmitacoverletterandresumetoBironL.Bedard,[email protected].

ASSOCIATETheidealcandidatewillhaveaninterestintransactionalwork,particularlyrealestate,landconservation,businessformation,and/orestateplanning;asolidacademicrecord;0-3years’experience;andbeabletodemonstrateexceptionalwrittenandoralcommuni-cationandpracticemanagementskills.JDfromanaccreditedlawschoolandaNHBarlicensearerequired.

EXPERIENCED CIVIL LITIGATION ATTORNEYTheidealcandidatewillbelicensedtopracticeinNHandhaveaminimumof10yearsofcivillitigationexperienceandanestablishedclientbaseorreferralnetwork.

PARALEGALTheidealcandidatewillpossessacertificatefromaqualifiedprogram,Associate’sde-gree or higher in legal/paralegal studies, or an equivalent combination of experienceand training thatprovides the requiredknowledge, skills, andabilities towork in thepracticeareasofprobateandtrustadministration,and/orrealestate,especiallytitlework;somelitigationexperiencemaybehelpful.Thesuccessfulcandidatemustpossess theabilitytoworkindependentlyandhavegoodcommunicationandwritingskills.Dutiesmay includeassistingwith:probateand trust administration, includingpreparationofaccountings,inventoriesandotherpleadings,andassistingwithcreditorissues;guard-ianships;and/orrealestateclosings,includingdeedpreparationandtitlework.Excellentunderstandingof electronicfilingprocesses required, as is aworkingknowledge andcompetencyofcomputerskills,includingOffice365,Word,Excel,andawillingnesstolearnotherspecificdocumentmanagementsoftwareprograms.


ATTORNEY (Recent Graduates Encouraged to Apply)TheStateofNewHampshireOfficeofProfessionalLicensureandCertification(OPLC),DivisionofAdministrationseeksafull-timeAttorneytoprovidelegalsupporttoOPLCandassignedBoards,CouncilsandCommissionsbyconductinglegalresearch,draftingpro-posedlegislation,overseeingrulemakingactivitiesandanalyzingandinterpretingrelevantstatutes and regulations.TheAttorney, amongother things, rendersofficialopinionsonstatestatutesandadministrativerulesandregulationsandadviseshowtoconformactivi-tiestothelaw.Monitorsagency-requestedlegislation,monitorsproposedlegislationandrecommendsappropriatecourseoflegalaction,evaluatesadministrativerules,regulationsandprocedures.Fieldsinquiresandgeneralquestionsfromlegislators,staffandthepublictoprovideguidanceanddirectionsonOPLCactivities;assistsinrespondingtoRight-toKnowrequests.TheidealcandidatewillhaveaJurisDoctoratedegreefromarecognizedcollegeoruniversityandatleastfouryears’experienceintheactivepracticeoflaw.Anex-ceptionmayberequestedfortheyearsofexperience.CandidatemustbeanactivememberoftheNewHampshireBarAssociationandinGoodStanding.

PleasesendcoverletterandresumetoOfficeofProfessionalLicensureandCertification,7EagleSquare,ConcordNH03301,Attn:JudyShevlin,HumanResourcesorviaemailatjudith.a.shevlin@oplc.nh.gov.Forafulljobdescription,pleasevisittheStateofNH’sjobpostingsandsearchforJobID#25083,http://das.nh.gov/jobsearch/Employment.aspx

PROBATE, TRUSTS AND ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYMorneau Law, a steadily growing Nashua firm, is seeking a probate, trusts, and estateplanningattorneywith5-10+yearsofexperiencetojoinourteam.Therightcandidatewouldbeproficientinprobate,estate,andtrustadministrationandhaveexperiencedraftingestateplanningdocuments.

Someonewhoisdedicatedtogivingbacktothecommunityandaself-motivatedteamplayerwould thrive in our position.We are a community-focused and team-basedfirmwith anemphasisonwork/lifebalancethatincludestheopportunityforaflexibleschedule,workingremotelyaswellasinoffice.Weprovideacollegialandupbeatworkenvironmentwithmanyperkstobeappreciatedbyanewmembertoourteam.

Pleasesendyourcoverletter,resumeandsalaryrequirementsto:Employment @MorneauLaw.com

DCYF – Attorney IINHDepartmentofHealth&HumanServices

Concord,RochesterandLittletonDistrictOffices

Starting Salary Range: $58,636.50to$83,869.50

TheN.H.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServices,underthesupervisionoftheN.H.DepartmentofJustice,currentlyhasthreefulltimeattorneypositions andonepart time attorneyposition available representing theDivisionforChildrenYouthandFamilies.Thepositionsavailableare:

#40089 and #44217 – Full time in the Rochester District Office.Position #44560 – Full time in the Concord District Office.

Position #TMPPT5726 – Part time telework in the Littleton District Office

Duties include: RepresentationoftheDivisionforChildren,YouthandFamilies in litigation involving theDCYF’s child protection program.Litigation activities includedraftingpleadings andmotions, conductingdiscovery, legal research andwriting, preparingwitnesses for trial,negotiatingsettlements,andpresentingevidenceandoralargumentatcourthearingsandtrials.

Requirements:J.D.fromarecognizedlawschool,N.H.Barmembership,adriver’slicenseand/oraccesstotransportationforstatewidetravelandfouryears’experienceinthepracticeoflaw,preferablyintheareaofabuseandneglectorfamilylaw.

How to a APPLY: Please go to the followingwebsite to submit yourapplicationelectronicallythroughNH1st:http://das.nh.gov/jobsearch/employment.aspx. Please reference the position number that you areapplyingfor.Positionwillremainopenuntilaqualifiedcandidateisfound.EOE.

ForquestionsaboutthispositionpleasecontactAttorneyDeannaBaker,LegalDirectorat(603)271-1220.

ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEYSCOPE OF POSITION:Seeks justice with professionalism, excellence and pride, consistent with the New Hampshire Rules ofProfessional Conduct, American Bar Association and National District Attorney’s Associationguidelines, as a criminal prosecutor with a concentration in Superior Court.

Acts as counsel for the State of New Hampshire incriminal matters.Works closely with Victim/Witness Coordinators toensure that all witnesses/victims are properlyinformed, prepared and supported throughout theprosecution process.Presents investigations and cases to the Grand Jury.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Juris Doctor from accredited law school.Must be admitted into the New Hampshire BarAssociation.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Salary Range: $62,566 - $87,609, dependent onexperience.Status: Full Time/ExemptSubmission Requirements:Employment application and resume required.Apply Online:https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/rockinghamnh

Equal Employment OpportunityMandatory post offer physical, drug and alcohol testing for

new hire. Criminal records check required.

DEPUTY COUNTY ATTORNEYSCOPE OF POSITION:Seeks justice with professionalism, excellence and pride, consistent with the New Hampshire Rules of Professional Conduct,American Bar Association and National District Attorney’s Association guidelines, as a criminal prosecutor with a concentrationin Superior Court.

Juris Doctor from accredited law school.Must be admitted into the New Hampshire Bar Association.Seven years’ experience as a criminal trial attorney with specificexperience as first chair in major felony trials, and [preferably] at leastone year of other legal experience.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Salary Range: $88,046.40 - $123,260.80,dependent on experience. Status: Full Time/ExemptSubmission Requirements:Employment application and resume required.Apply Online:https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/rockinghamnh

Equal Employment OpportunityMandatory post offer physical, drug and alcohol testing for

new hire. Criminal records check required.

Oversees all operations of the County Attorney’s Office, in the absence of the County Attorney; which includesresponsibility for all aspects of criminal investigations and prosecutions; the administration of the office, supervision ofstaff and personnel issues, and liaison to other Federal, State, local and County agencies.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Prosecutes all types of cases, with primary focus on major crimes.Handles all levels of criminal caseload and litigates all issues that arise,pre and post-conviction.Reviews cases pre-Grand Jury, indictments and charging decisions.Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees;planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance;rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints andresolving problems.

Estate and Trust Administration ParalegalMcDonald&Kanyuk, PLLC, a boutique estate planning firmwith offices inConcord, New Hampshire and Wellesley, Massachusetts, has an excellentopportunityforafulltimeestateandtrustadministrationparalegal.

Ideal candidate must have a broad base of estate and trust administrationexperience,beabletoworkwithmultipleattorneys,andhaveexperienceworkingdirectlywithclients.Thepositionrequiresanunderstandingofestateandtrustconcepts,andexperienceadministeringestatesandtrusts.Knowledgeofdraftingestateplanningdocumentsandtaxpreparationexperiencewouldbeaplus.Mustbewell-versedinMicrosoftOffice,particularlyWord,ExcelandOutlook.Thisisfulltime,in-officepositionforourConcord,NewHampshireoffice,andwewouldconsiderflexibleworkingarrangementsfortherightcandidate. Pleasesubmitresume,coverletterandsalaryrequirementstoLisaRoy,[email protected].

Isyourjobanunnecessaryhardship?Areyoulookingto vary yourwork environment?Or has your joy inyourcurrentpracticesimplyabated?MMGisaprac-ticefocusedexclusivelyonmunicipallawwithclientsthroughoutthestate.Wearelookingtomergeanexpe-riencedassociateintothefold.

Wetakeprideinourwork,andtherelationshipswehavebuiltwithourclientsoverthepastseveraldecades.Althoughourclienteleisspecific,theproblemswesolvecomefromawidevarietyofintriguingfactualandlegalsituations.Nodayislikethenext.We take apractical, common sense approach toguidingour clients through thechallengesthattheyfaceeveryday,andanysuccessfulcandidatewillbeabletodothesame.Our ideal applicant is an experienced associate (5+years preferred)withexcellentwritingandcourtroomskills.Nobookofbusinessisexpected.

Ifthissoundsliketherighttypeofroadtotravelforyou,pleasesubmityourcoverletterandresumetolaura@mitchellmunigroup.com.

Experienced Associate


LITIGATION ATTORNEY

DownsRachlinMartin—oneofNorthernNewEngland’slargestlawfirms–hasanexcitingopportunityforalitigationattorneyinitsLebanonoffice.TheidealcandidatewouldhaveexperiencelitigatinginNewHampshirecourtsandaninterestindoingsophisticatedlitigation.

CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL ATTORNEY (LEBANON, NH)

Weseekanexperiencedcorporate/commercialattorneytojoinitsLebanonoffice.

TheidealcandidatewillbelicensedtopracticeinNewHampshire,haveaportablebookofbusinesswithcompatibleclientsandhaveaminimumoftenyearsofexperienceincorporate/commerciallaw.TheidealcandidatewillalsobeactiveintheNewHampshirebusinessandciviccommunityandbecommittedtogrowingDRM’sregionalpresence.Relevantexperiencewouldincludetheformationofcorporations,limitedliabilitycompaniesandotherbusinessorganizations,commercialloantransactions,equityfinancings(includingprivateequityandventurecapital)andmergersandacquisitions(includingsalesofstockandassets,managementbuyouts, recapitalizations and reorganizations).ExperiencewithESOPs,B-corpsorotherfocusedpracticeswouldbehighlyvalued.

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT ASSOCIATE

DRMhasagreatopportunityforalaborandemploymentattorneyinitsBurlington,VermontorLebanon,NewHampshireoffice.

Helpfulexperienceincludesrepresentingclientsbeforeadministrativeagenciesinemployment-relatedclaims,litigatingonbehalfofmanagement,counselingonemploymentmattersandfamiliaritywith traditional labormatters.The idealcandidatehas1 to3yearsof relevantexperience,includingaclerkship,andwantstobepartofateamofattorneyscommittedtodeliveringtop-qualityservicetogrowingandsuccessfulbusinesses.FromitsofficesinVermontandNewHampshire,DRM’slaborandemploymentlawgrouphasasophisticatedregionalemploymentpracticeandanationallaborpractice.

TAX ATTORNEY

DownsRachlinMartinisseekinganattorneywithatleast3yearsofexperiencetojoinitstaxpracticeatitsBurlington,Vermontoffice.

Qualified candidates should have substantial experience addressing complex commercialtransactions,withastrongbackgroundinpartnershipandcorporatetaxmatters.

Experienceshouldincludestructuringmergersandacquisitions,businessformations,debtandequityfinancings,workouts,privateequityandventurecapitaltransactions.Experiencewithexecutivecompensation,NewMarketsandothertaxcreditissueswouldbevaluableinthisposition.Ourpracticeincludescontroversyrepresentationacrossawiderangeofstateandlocaltaxmattersnecessitatingexcellentresearch,writingandverbalskills.Thereisanopportunitytosucceedtoanestablishedtaxpractice.

CORPORATE/COMMERCIAL ATTORNEY (BURLINGTON, VT)

DownsRachlinMartin–oneofNorthernNewEngland’slargestlawfirms–hasanopportunityfor a corporate/commercial attorney topracticewithin itsdynamicbusiness lawgroup inBurlington,Vermont.

The ideal candidatewill have over six (6) years of relevant experienceworkingwithcolleaguesandclientsonmattersinvolvingventurecapitaltransactions(entityformation,seedfinancings,capitalizationtables,portfoliomanagement),mergersandacquisitions(assetandstockpurchases,mergers,duediligence)anddebtandequityfinancings(mortgages,UniformCommercialCode,promissorynotesandloanagreements).Thefirm’sbusinesslawgroupisengagedinwideavarietyoftransactionslocally,nationallyandinternationally.Apartialbookofbusinessispreferred.Thisisanopportunitytobecomepartofateamofattorneyscommittedtodeliveringtop-qualityservicetogrowingandsuccessfulbusinesses.

LITIGATION ASSOCIATE

NorthernNewEngland’slargestlawfirms–hasagreatopportunityforalitigationassociateinitsBurlingtonoffice.

Theidealcandidatewillhave1-3yearsofrelevantexperience,excellentacademiccredentialsandstrongresearchandwritingskills.DRM’slitigationgroupisengagedinwhitecollardefenseand criminal and civil government enforcementmatters, internal investigations, complexlitigationincludingantitrust,securitiesandclassactions,healthcarefraud,medicalmalpracticedefenseandprofessionallicensingandinawidevarietyofsophisticatedcommerciallitigation.Weare lookingforacandidate thatwants tobepartofa teamofattorneyscommitted todeliveringtop-qualityservicetoindividuals,institutionsandgrowingandsuccessfulbusinesses.

DRMiscommittedtoinvestinginourattorneys’professionalgrowthanddevelopment.Weofferexcellentmentorship,andtraining,aswellasleadingtechnology,competitivesalary,andacomprehensivebenefitspackage, including industry-leadingpaidparental leaveandtwogenerousretirementplans.

Pleasesubmitacoverletterandtranscriptalongwithresumeforconsideration.APPLYHERE:https://www.appone.com/MainInfoReq.asp?R_ID=4440732&B_ID=83&fid=1&Adid=0&ssbgcolor=17143A&SearchScreenID=2521&CountryID=3&LanguageID=2


Massachusetts Workers CompAtty. John Wolkowski

Backus, Meyer & Branch, LLP

Do you have a client injured in Massachusetts?

I honor referral fees

[email protected](603) 668-7272116 Lowell Street Manchester, NH 03104

SURETY BONDSServingNewEngland’sLawyersSince1899

• ProbateBonds• AppealBonds• T.R.O.Bonds• DissolveLienBonds• Bid,Performance&PaymentBonds• FidelityBonds

PHONE: 617-523-2935 FAX: 617-523-1707

www.aadority.comA.A.DORITYCOMPANY,INC.

226LowellSt.,SuiteB-4,Wilmington,MA01887

A.A.DORITY Rousseau Law& Mediation

“TheOutcomeofYourCaseMatterstoUs”

Offeringaffordablelegalrepresentation includingdivorce,legalseparation,custody,parentingrights,childsupport,alimony

andmediationservices

MarianneL.Rousseau,ESQDebbieMartinDemers,ESQ

(603)715-2824

[email protected]

559PembrokeStreet,Pembroke,NH03275

603.226.4225

AppealsLawyer.net

[email protected]

Effectiveand strategicadvocacy in

New Hampshireand

Federal appellate courts.

Doreen [email protected]

Member ofAmericanAcademy ofAppellate lawyers

603.626.3304

The N.H. Department of Labor, Legal Bureau seeks a full time Attorney II. This position will analyze and interpret state statutes and regulations and draft proposed legislation. This position will represent the Department at administrative hearings, as well as at State legislative hearings, tracking legislation, and make reports to the Commissioner on legislative matters relative to the Department’s mission.

Duties include: Representation of the Depart-ment of Labor at agency hearings and court proceedings. Litigation activities including drafting pleadings and motions, conducting discovery, legal research and writing, preparing witnesses for trial, negotiating settlements, and presenting evidence and oral argument at court hearings and trials.

Requirements: J.D. from a recognized law school, N.H. Bar membership, a driver’s license, and four years’ experience in the practice of law, preferably

in the area Workers’ Compensation, Wage and Hour, Managed care, and Self-Insurance.

Must be an active member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and in Good Standing.

How to apply: Please go to the following website to submit your application electronically through NH 1st: http://das.nh.gov/jobsearch/employment.aspx. Please reference the position number that you are applying for: #19278 Attorney II, or Job ID #24642. In order to receive credit for postsecondary education, a copy of official transcripts with a seal and/or signature MUST be included with the application. Please have transcripts forwarded to the Human Resources Office with the recruiting agency. Position will remain open until a qualified candidate is found. EOE.

For questions about these positions please con-tact Wesley Gardner, General Counsel at (603) 271-0201.

NH Department of LaborAttorney II - Legislative Liaison Position # 19278

The Office of Public Guardian (OPG) is a private, non-profit corporation organized in 1979 to provide guardianship and advocacy services to legally incapacitated adults, including those with devel-opmental disabilities, mental illness, dementia or traumatic brain injury.

OPG is seeking a full-time paralegal with excel-lent interpersonal skills, sound judgment, a strong attention to detail, the ability to prioritize and mul-titask, and solid written and verbal communica-tion skills. The paralegal prepares motions and pleadings, correspondence, maintains case files, schedules appointments, tracks deadlines, com-municates with courts and attorneys, and files pleadings.

The ideal candidate is also experienced in the areas of guardianships, conservatorships, trusts

and estates, state and federal benefits (including appeals of denials of benefits), and landlord/tenant law, however OPG will provide training and support for less experienced but motivated individuals.

Benefits include a competitive salary, 12 paid holidays, option for a hybrid work schedule once training has been completed, company paid life insurance, health and dental insurance, short term and long term disability, paid time-off, 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions, travel reimbursement and use of fitness center.

Salary $50,000.00

If you are interested in this position, please e-mail your resume and a cover letter to Joanne Ciampanelli at [email protected].

Full-time Paralegal/Legal Assistant

National title insuranceunderwriter seeks tohireanattorneytojoinitsVermontteam.Astrongworkingknowledge on the varied and unique aspects ofVermont real property transactions, the search andexaminationprocess,andfamiliaritywiththeissuanceoftitleinsurancecommitmentsandpoliciesisneeded.Vermont Bar admission required. The positionrequires3+yearsofresidentialand/orcommercialrealestateexperienceandasolidworkingknowledgeofMicrosoftOffice.

Ouridealcandidatewillbedecisiveandhavestronganalytical,communicationandproblem-solving skills.Theymust be able towork independently andwith our customers, shouldpossessaninterestinworkingonlargecommercialrealestateprojects,willberequiredtodisseminatewithinthecompanyandthemarketplacerecentupdatesorchangesinVermontrealestatelaws,andpresenteducationalseminarsand/orwebinars.Verycompetitivesalarycommensuratewithexperienceandacomprehensivebenefitspackageincludingfullhealthbenefits,401K,andEmployeeStockPurchasePlan.Thisiscurrentlyaremoteposition.

[email protected].

Representing the Fidelity Family of Companies

ATTORNEY

NON-PARTISAN LEGISLATIVE RESEARCHER POSITIONNH House of Representatives

Starting Salary: $57,973.76

Non-partisan legislative office is seeking a qualified individual to join their professional research staff. Duties: Provide non-partisan research services and technical and administrative support to House committees. Prepare concise and accurate oral and written reports. Qualified candidate must demonstrate competence in a range of research skills including collecting, monitoring, and analyzing material from a variety of information resources involved in public policy development, preparing legislative histories, conducting multi-state statutory searches, researching and summarizing state and federal laws and regulations, analyzing statistical data, and other duties as assigned. Individual must have strong verbal, written and organizational skills and be able to handle numerous assignments concurrently in an often fast-paced environment. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in relevant field required. Advanced degree or relevant experience preferred.

Please email cover letter, resume and writing sample to: [email protected]

The Belknap County Attorney’s Office isseekingaprosecutor towork ina teamen-vironment as a full timeAssistant CountyAttorney. Under thegeneralsupervisionoftheBelknapCountyAttorney, theAssistantCounty Attorneys enforce the laws of theStateofNewHampshirebypreparingcharg-es for the Grand Jury, meeting and inter-viewingwitnesses and victims, seeking in-dictmentandprosecutingfelonycrimesandmisdemeanorappealsintheSuperiorCourt.Otherresponsibilitiesmayinclude“on-call”dutiesandprovidingadviceandguidancetolocallawenforcement.Forfurtherinforma-tionvisitourwebsitelistedbelow.

Salary Range:$63,814–$89,502commen-suratewithexperiencealongwithacompeti-tivebenefitsprogram.

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s De-greeandJurisDoctorofLaw,membershipin the New Hampshire Bar Association.Some prior litigation experience preferred,and a strong preference for prior criminalprosecutionexperience.

ApplicationSendresumeandcovertolettertoDebLaflamme,HumanResourcesGen-eralist,34CountyDr.,Laconia,NH,03246.Phone: 729-1245; email [email protected] or visit ourwebsite athttp://www.belknapcounty.org for ad-ditional informationoracompleteJobDe-scription.Acriminalhistory&backgroundcheckwillberequiredofanyapplicantpriortobeingofferedaposition.

EqualOpportunityEmployer

Assistant County Attorney - Belknap County


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