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Upton & Hatfield Partner Lauren Simon Irwin Named to RB Productions Board of Directors
CONCORD, NH — Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced partner Lauren Simon Irwin has joined the Board of Directors of RB Productions, a non-profit organization providing educational and recreational theatre opportunities for professionals, students and the community.
Founded in 2003 in Concord, New Hampshire, RB Productions offers year-round operations providing workshops, classes and productions for participants of all ages and abilities. It promotes all elements of theatre production and the importance of integrating those elements to tap creative artistic synergy.
Irwin, who regularly counsels and represents individuals, schools, municipalities and private entities on employment law matters, has extensive experience representing clients in employment discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful termination, Family and Medical Leave Act and other employment cases in both state and federal courts.
“Involvement in the New Hampshire cities and towns in which we live and do business has always been an important part of the culture at Upton & Hatfield,” said Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “Lauren’s seat on the Board of Directors of RB Productions is an important one, as we strongly encourage programs that promote the arts and foster community. I am confident her appointment will be a great asset to the organization.”
Upton & Hatfield Partner Leads Effort to Preserve 38-Acre Knight’s Brook Property in Newington
CONCORD, NH—Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced attorney Justin C. Richardson, Esq., and the Newington Conservation Commission acquired an easement to preserve Knight’s Brook in Newington, New Hampshire.
As Chairman of the Town of Newington’s Conservation Commission, Richardson helped secure the easement to protect 38 acres of agricultural and forest lands, including a portion of the Knight’s Brook Prime Wetland, an important tributary to the Great Bay estuary.
Richardson is a member of Upton & Hatfield’s municipal law practice group, which represents over 50 towns, schools and village districts throughout the state of New Hampshire. In 2007, he was appointed by New Hampshire Governor John Lynch to a commission to study the causes, effects and remediation of siltation in the Great Bay Estuary. He is a member of the Municipal, Environmental and Telecommunications and Energy Sections of the New Hampshire Bar Association.
“Justin used his extensive experience in environmental law to help conserve a piece of the Knight’s Brook wetland, a rich ecosystem that feeds into the Great Bay estuary, which houses a variety of wildlife habitats,” said Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “New Hampshire is a beautiful state, and Upton & Hatfield is proud to help preserve its natural environs and diverse ecological communities.”
Russell Hilliard named a Top 100 New England Attorney
PORTSMOUTH — Russell Hilliard, a partner at Upton & Hatfield, LLP based out of the law firm’s Portsmouth office, is one of only four from New Hampshire named by Super Lawyers to its 2011 list of Top 100 New England Attorneys. Lawyers are selected for Super Lawyers distinction following an extensive balloting, research and screening process that involves the state’s lawyers nominating the best attorneys they've personally observed in action. This is the third year in a row that Hilliard has been named to the top 100 in New England list, which also includes attorneys from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine.
A highly respected attorney among his peers, he is ranked by Chambers USA's America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of commercial litigation, which recognized him in 2010 as “as good a litigator as you could hope to find.” He is also included in The Best Lawyers in America® for alternative dispute resolution.
Hilliard focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and insurance litigation, professional discipline, defense and alternative dispute resolution, representing businesses, municipalities and individual professionals.
He currently serves as Vice President of the New England Bar Association and is a past president of the New Hampshire Bar Association and past chair of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation. In 1995, he was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers, composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America.
Super Lawyers magazine includes outstanding lawyers from more than 60 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The purpose of the selection process is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys to assist attorneys and consumers in the search for legal counsel.
The Faith of Generations
Margaret-Ann Moran Reflects on Her Life and Work as a Lawyer
Article in Parable, the Magazine of the Diocese of Manchester
 Margaret-Ann Moran never uses the center aisle of Saint Raphael church. Why? Because in the old Saint Raphael church, in which her grandparents were married in 1904, and her parents in 1951, and in which she was baptized in 1954, there was no center aisle, and habits in the Moran family run deep. No habit runs deeper in the life of this New Hampshire attorney and then the practice of her Catholic faith.
The granddaughter of Irish immigrants, Margaret-Ann's family history in Manchester and in Saint Raphael Parish both go back generations, a continuity that is traceable, she believes, to one seminal moment in her parents' lives when they made a decision to step off the corporate treadmill. Edward Moran, a World War II veteran and Saint Anselm College graduate (Class of '49), worked for a company that transferred him all around New England, with only short periods of time between promotions that brought him more power and money with each move. However, Ed and his wife Peggy decided they would request to return to New Hampshire. They were determined to keep family the single most important thing in their lives, sacrificing increased wealth and prestige for the sort of home and life that they valued,
The return to Manchester was providential, as the Moran household would become the home for many of Margaret-Ann's relatives over the years. Besides providing an only child with a houseful of cousins, her parents' decision to return to Manchester had a lasting impact upon Margaret-Ann's worldview. "Not only were my parents able to provide a home for their nephew and nieces whose parents had died, but their decision taught me that money, power, and prestige were not the most important things. It's a lesson that becomes clearer and more relevant with each passing year."
Faith and family were inseparable in Margaret-Ann's upbringing. "There were all the things you don't even think about: Grace before meals, Tuesday night novena to Saint Martha, saying the rosary while you went to sleep," she recalls. She attended Mount Saint Mary Day School for nine years, followed by two years at Immaculata and two years at Trinity High School, becoming a member of the second graduating class there. Her faith was an integral and natural part of Margaret-Ann's world until she arrived at Wellesley College where, for the first time in her life, Catholicism was not part of the very air she breathed.
"At Wellesley, Mass was held in the coffee shop or in a lounge. I learned to say that I was 'going to church' instead of attending Mass, and I had a classmate who remarked about my faith, 'Well, everyone needs a crutch, I guess.'"
After graduating from Wellesley, Margaret-Ann attended Suffolk Law School and, knowing she wanted to return to New Hampshire, she took only the New Hampshire bar exam. At that time an old childhood friend of her father's, Martin Loughlin, was appointed to the federal bench. Margaret-Ann had written to him earlier for advice, and in his response he offered to take her on as a clerk, a wonderful opportunity. "Judge Loughlin set the gold standard that I continue to aspire to in the way he practiced his profession and lived his life. I learned lessons for a lifetime in the two years I clerked for him."
When her clerkship ended, Margaret-Ann joined the Hatfield Law Firm. At that time it was a small country practice in Hillsborough. Thirty years later, following a decade-old merger, Upton & Hatfield is no longer a small country practice, and Margaret-Ann can hardly be described as a country lawyer. She represents school districts throughout the state in school law issues, including special education, discipline hearings, residency questions, and school district liability issues. She also handles labor arbitration cases.
A past member of the New Hampshire Catholic Charities Board of Trustees, she presently serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic Medical Center, a service she embraces because her mother and two of her aunts trained as nurses at Sacred Heart Hospital, a predecessor of CMC.
In 2009, Margaret-Ann received the Thomas More Award, awarded annually to a Catholic lawyer of exceptional service and commitment. She was honored, though she hesitates to make profound connections between her work as a lawyer and her faith. "Essentially, my daily prayer is, 'Please help me to make the right decisions in my life and work every day.' The legal profession, like others, can really become all-encompassing and my faith is the piece that keeps it all in perspective for me."
Margaret-Ann serves as a lector and chair of the pastoral council at Saint Raphael Parish. Father Jerome Day, O.S.B., pastor of Saint Raphael, speaks of how proud the Benedictine parish is to call Margaret-Ann "a native daughter," noting that besides being "capable, generous, gracious and encouraging, she is committed to the things that matter to her: her family, her parish, her profession, and her Irish heritage. Margaret-Ann always sees clearly to the heart of things and asks, 'How does this connect to the Lord and his plan for us?'"
As she has grown older, Margaret-Ann says, she has become less bashful about her religion. "I used to never say if I was doing something religious. At the office, I would simply say I was going to be coming in late or leaving early because of a prior commitment, never that I was attending Mass because it was a Holy Day. But at some point I stopped being so deliberately private. I think it's important for people to know that this is an important piece of who I am. Most of the people of my generation that I know are Catholic in name only. I feel they are missing something that was once an important piece of their lives and that is really too bad."
As for Margaret-Ann, "She certainly knows and acknowledges the faults and failures of the human dimension of the Church," says Father Jerome, "but she seems never to forget as well that the Church is the bride of Christ." A bride who, in this case, walks reverently with the faith of generations down the side aisle, of course.
Pennichuck Corporation (NASDAQ: PNNW) announced its shareholders voted to approve a Merger Agreement with the City of Nashua, New Hampshire.
The City will acquire all of the outstanding common shares of Pennichuck Corporation for $29.00 per share in cash.
Upton & Hatfield, LLP attorneys Robert Upton and Justin Richardson represented the City in legal proceedings before the New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission (PUC). On July 25, 2008, the PUC issued a 120 page order authorizing the City to acquire Pennichuck Water Works (PWW), New Hampshire’s largest investor-owned water utility serving over 100,000 residents in eight towns in southern New Hampshire for a value of $203 million. The PUC set a national precedent as one of the utility Commissions to allow a municipality to acquire a publicly-traded water utility. On March 25, 2010, the New Hampshire Supreme Court affirmed the PUC’s order in a 22 page decision that allowed the City to proceed with the acquisition.
Robert Upton is the Chair of Upton & Hatfield, LLP’s Municipal Law Practice Group representing cities and towns in all aspects of municipal law, with a focus on ad valorem taxation of utility and special purpose property. He also represents individuals and municipalities in employment, personal injury, and real estate matters. Rob is recognized as a leading New Hampshire lawyer by the Best Lawyers in America,® Martindale Hubbell (AV rating), Chambers USA, and New England Super Lawyers.
Justin Richardson is the Chair of Upton & Hatfield, LLP’s Environmental and Administrative Law Practice Group and a member of the firm’s Municipal Law Practice Group. Justin has extensive experience in the areas of utility, environmental and municipal law, focusing on regulatory issues impacting municipalities, businesses and individuals.
Upton & Hatfield Attorney Michael McGrath Appointed Secretary
of New Hampshire Association for Justice
CONCORD, NH—June 16, 2011—Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced Michael
McGrath was named Secretary of the New Hampshire Association for Justice
(NHAJ), a statewide professional association of trial attorneys working to
protect constitutional rights and make sure individuals have access to
justice through the legal system when the acts of others cause them harm. Joining Upton & Hatfield in 2008, McGrath's practice focuses on civil
litigation, including personal injury and insurance law, commercial
litigation, employment law and family law. In addition to being a member of
the Board of Governors of the New Hampshire Association for Justice, his
other affiliations include New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bar Associations
and the American Association for Justice. He is admitted to practice in New
Hampshire and Massachusetts.
MANCHESTER, NH—May 3, 2011 – Attorney Margaret-Ann Moran will be leading a seminar titled New Hampshire Special Education Law for the National Business Institute.
BOSTON, MA —April 28, 2011
Your Essential Reference Guide for New Hampshire Discovery and Depositions
MCLE | New England® today announced the publication of A Practical Guide to Discovery and Depositions in New Hampshire, a brand-new practice manual for New Hampshire attorneys.
The book' s co-editors, Hon. Gary E. Hicks of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and Daniel E. Will, Esq., of Devine, Millimet & Branch in Manchester, brought together a seasoned team of 30 New Hampshire attorneys including Lauren Simon Irwin from Upton & Hatfield LLP to share their litigation expertise in this 23 chapter, two-volume looseleaf manual.
As the editors note in their introductory chapter:
" [S]ome of New Hampshire' s finest attorneys have joined together through their various chapters to provide a practical guide to civil litigation discovery in New Hampshire courts. From basic blocking and tackling—requests for production, interrogatories, depositions—to the more nuanced aspects—expert discovery, discovery privileges—to the cutting edge—electronic discovery and new Superior Court pilot rules for various categories of civil litigation designed to bring cost into line with value—this civil discovery practice manual covers much of what litigators need to navigate their way. It has been our honor to work with the chapter authors and ethical commentators in crafting the substance of these volumes . . . ."
Backed by court rules, case law, and statutory authority, each chapter provides a comprehensive yet clear explanation of a key aspect of discovery and depositions. Chapter topics include: preservation and spoliation of evidence, discovery planning and analysis, protection of confidential information, discovery of internal investigations, discovery plan and structuring conference preparation, interrogatories, document requests, requests for admission, the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine, evidentiary privileges, depositions, analyzing and responding to discovery, e-discovery and internet/social networking discovery, discovery practice, obtaining interstate discovery, discovery relating to experts, medical discovery, differences between federal and state discovery practice, discovery in the New Hampshire Superior Court Business and Commercial Dispute Docket, government discovery, discovery in divorce cases, and discovery in employment cases.
A Practical Guide to Discovery and Depositions in New Hampshire is the fifth release in MCLE | New England' s New Hampshire law practice library which also features manuals on divorce, DWI, evidence, and residential real estate. Further information about this publication and others for New Hampshire lawyers can be found on MCLE's New Hampshire law practice collection webpage at www.mcle.org/nh or by calling MCLE' s customer service team at 1-800-966-6253.
On April 8, 2011, Heather Burns spoke at the 10th Annual Labor & Employment Update presented by the New Hampshire Bar Association. She spoke about the topic of wrongful termination and other employment doctrines under state law. "The Annual Labor & Employment Update" is an annual update for attorneys and human resource professionals throughout New Hampshire that provides an update on important developments in the area of employment law. Ms. Burns is a regular speaker at this annual event.
CONCORD, NH—February 7, 2011 – Attorney Margaret-Ann Moran spoke on Steps in Conducting an Investigation and Attorney Lauren Simon Irwin presented on Overview of Requirements of the Law and Recommended Policies and Practices at the Title 9 Training – Update on New Laws and Best Practices Program presented by the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.
January, 2011– Attorney Margaret-Ann Moran was reappointed to the Catholic Medical Center Board for another 3 year term
CONCORD, NH—January 27, 2011—Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced it donated $1,000 as an "Angel" contributor to Dress for Success New Hampshire, a non-profit organization that promotes the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life.
Lauren Simon Irwin, who focuses her practice in employment disputes and civil litigation at Upton & Hatfield, has served as a board member, advisory board member and/or volunteer for Dress for Success New Hampshire since it was first created in the late 1990s.
"With a long history of service to the state of New Hampshire, it's important to us at Upton & Hatfield to support the communities we serve in as many ways as possible," said managing partner James F. Raymond. "As an Angel-level sponsor for Dress for Success New Hampshire, we hope our contribution helps this worthy organization continue its mission of working with women to get what they need to secure employment."
The New Hampshire Dress for Success boutique, located at 111A South Main Street in Concord, is open once a month to accept clothing donations. Their next clothing donation day is Saturday, January 8, 2011, from 9-11 am. For more information on donation days or to review clothing donation guidelines, please visit www.dressforsuccess.org or call 603-224-8683.
Six Upton & Hatfield Attorneys Named in 2010 “Super Lawyers Magazine”
CONCORD, NH—November 22, 2010—Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced six of the practice’s attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in the New England edition of Super Lawyers Magazine, a publication listing the most accomplished lawyers in each state of the U.S.
The honored attorneys at Upton & Hatfield are:
“Upton & Hatfield attorneys are focused on providing excellent service to our clients,” said Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “To be listed in Super Lawyers is an honor not just for the six attorneys chosen for inclusion, but for the firm as a whole.”
Representing roughly five percent of attorneys from each state in the U.S., Super Lawyers is a compiled list of attorneys who excel in their practice areas and are recognized based on peer evaluation and professional achievement. Super Lawyers Magazine is published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country and features articles about attorneys named to the list. Copies are distributed to all law offices in the state or region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies and ABA-approved law school libraries. For more information, please visit http://www.superlawyers.com/index.html.
Matthew R. Serge Joins NHBA Leadership Academy
Matthew R. Serge of Upton and Hatfield, LLP has joined the charter class of 2011 for the NHBA Leadership Academy. The participants, selected from a large field of applicants, include 16 attorneys from all types of practices throughout the state.
The NHBA Leadership Academy kicked off with a two-day retreat featuring Michael Brandwein, a lawyer and national speaker on organizational effectiveness and leadership in early November at the Inn at Mills Falls, Meredith.
The participants will meet on a monthly basis for the next nine months, learning skills and receiving orientation to facets of community and professional life in New Hampshire. Working in groups, the participants will also work on legal sector community service projects.
Lauren Simon Irwin is chairing a NH Association for Justice CLE on October 15th on “Big Verdicts in New England Employment Cases”. Lauren Irwin and Heather Burns will present at the CLE.
John Teague, Margaret-Ann Moran, Lauren Simon Irwin and James O’Shaughnessy presented at the Bradley Kidder Law Conference on October 12, 2010.
Six Upton & Hatfield Attorneys Named
“The Best Lawyers in America”® for 2010
CONCORD, NH—August 5, 2010—The New Hampshire law firm Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced six of the firm’s attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America®, a publication listing the most accomplished lawyers in the United States.
The honored attorneys are Heather M. Burns for Labor and Employment Law; Russell F. Hilliard for Alternative Dispute Resolution and Personal Injury Litigation; Barton L. Mayer for Municipal Law; Gary B. Richardson for Medical Malpractice Law and Personal Injury Litigation; John F. Teague for Education Law; and Robert W. Upton II for Municipal Law and Real Estate Law.
“We are honored and proud to have so many of our attorneys recognized for excellence by a panel of our peers,” said James Raymond, Managing Partner of Upton & Hatfield. “Their recognition reflects our commitment to serving our clients and communities.”
Best Lawyers in America includes attorneys in 80 practice areas, covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia who are selected through peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers.
An Interview with Gary B. Richardson
July, 2010— From Trial Bar News
> Download the Article in PDF Form
Upton & Hatfield Law Firm and Attorney Russell Hilliard Honored
in Chambers USA Guide to World’s Leading Lawyers
CONCORD, NH—July 7, 2010— Upton & Hatfield, LLP, has been recognized as a leading law firm in the 2010 Chambers and Partners USA guide, a directory of the legal profession. In addition, the guide recognized firm partner Russell Hilliard for being “as good a litigator as you could hope to find.”
Hilliard focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and insurance litigation, professional discipline and liability; and alternative dispute resolution. A member of Upton & Hatfield since 1980, he is active in the American Bar Association House of Delegates, the New Hampshire Bar Association, New Hampshire Bar Foundation; and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Hilliard was also recently recognized in New England Super Lawyers Magazine, a publication listing the most accomplished lawyers in the region.
“It’s an honor for Upton & Hatfield and for Russell Hilliard to be included in such a prestigious and widely recognized publication alongside the world’s best law firms,” said Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “We’re proud to serve the businesses, individuals and families of New Hampshire, and this listing in Chambers USA is a representation of our dedication to serving our clients’ legal needs.”
Chambers and Partners employs 100 full-time researchers, who interview thousands of lawyers and their clients globally to identify the world’s leading attorneys and law firms. Utilizing unbiased third-party research ensures the annually published guide represents an accurate and reliable source of well-respected and committed legal professionals. For more information about Chambers and Partners, visit http://www.chambersandpartners.com/.
NH Bar Association Presents Upton & Hatfield Attorney
Marilyn Billings McNamara with Leadership Gavel
CONCORD, NH—JUNE 29, 2010—Law firm Upton & Hatfield, LLP, today announced attorney Marilyn Billings McNamara was named President of the NH Bar Association at the Bar’s 2010 Annual Meeting Banquet on Saturday.
A domestic relations lawyer with over thirty years of experience in all aspects of the field, McNamara is a member of the Judicial Council, Court Commission on Innovation and Access to Justice Commission. Following graduation from the University of New Hampshire School of Law in Concord, she co-founded the Family and Housing Law Clinic (now the Civil Clinic) at the center and served as co-director and instructor for the clinic’s first year. In addition to her years of private practice in Lebanon, NH, she served for eight years as the executive director of the Legal Advice and Referral Center, a Concord-based federally funded poverty law program providing family and housing law advice, counsel and referral services to low-income clients.
“Marilyn’s legal contributions to the state of New Hampshire have been invaluable over the years,” said Upton & Hatfield Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “Her integrity, honesty and commitment to upholding the law in our great state will ensure her tenure as Bar President will be enriched by her wealth of experience and knowledge. We congratulate her on her success.”
A recipient of the L. Jonathan Ross Award for outstanding commitment to legal services for the poor, Marilyn was also a member of the first Judicial Selection Commission established in New Hampshire. She has also written on legal issues pertaining to children, ethics, professionalism and domestic relations practice, and was recently selected to author a chapter on children and the law for an upcoming publication on New Hampshire domestic relations practice and procedure.
Upton & Hatfield Attorney Gary B. Richardson Honored
with NH Association of Justice Board of Governors Award
CONCORD, NH—June 17, 2010—Gary B. Richardson is this year’s recipient of the New Hampshire Association of Justice (NHAJ) Board of Governors award.
In recent years Richardson has divided his time between the courthouse and the statehouse as a member of the House Judiciary Committee. This accolade recognizes Richardson for his consistent advocacy on behalf of judicial access for everyone and fairness in the courts.
With a practice focused on representing individuals and families injured as a result of medical malpractice or other negligence, Richardson has more than 40 years of experience as a trial lawyer, town moderator and legislator. A certified mediator with the New Hampshire Superior Court, Richardson has a Martindale Hubbell AV rating and has been selected by his peers for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine, a publication listing the most accomplished lawyers in each state of the U. S. Richardson is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
The NHAJ is a statewide membership organization of trial attorneys working to protect people’s constitutional rights and the integrity of the civil judicial system to ensure individuals have a fair chance to receive justice through the legal system.
Upton & Hatfield Attorney Marilyn B. McNamara Presented Diversity Award
by NH Cultural Diversity Awareness Council
CONCORD, NH—April 8, 2010—Law firm Upton & Hatfield, LLP, today announced Marilyn B. McNamara received an award honoring her commitment to diversity from the NH Cultural Diversity Awareness Council (NHCDAC) at the 9th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., dinner held March 25.
President-Elect of the New Hampshire Bar Association, McNamara is a domestic relations lawyer with over thirty years of experience. Sitting on the Boards of Directors of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation and Bar Governors of the New Hampshire Bar Association, she co-founded the Family and Housing Law Clinic (now the Civil Clinic) at the University of New Hampshire School of Law in Concord and served as co-director and instructor for the clinic’s first year. McNamara also developed a statewide domestic relations practice based in Lebanon, NH, followed by eight years as the executive director of the Legal Advice and Referral Center, a Concord-based federally funded poverty law program providing family and housing law advice, counsel and referral services to low-income clients.
“We’re proud to have Marilyn as part of the Upton & Hatfield family, as her service to New Hampshire has been great, including membership on the Judicial Council, Pro Se Task Force Study Group and Access to Justice Commission,” said James Raymond, Upton & Hatfield Managing Partner. “She’s a conscientious lawyer and member of the Greater Concord community, and her contributions to our state both in civic and legal capacities have been remarkable.”
Founded in October 2000, the NHCDAC is a not-for-profit volunteer organization promoting an appreciation, understanding and acceptance of the people who comprise the various racial and ethnic groups of New Hampshire. Its mission is to increase awareness of the need for communication, understanding and respect among people of ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds. Through community events, educational programs and alliances with corporations, educational institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations, NHCDAC addresses the important issues of multiculturalism facing our nation today. In addition, the NHCDAC aims to maintain the significance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.
“We were honored to have Marilyn as a guest speaker at our MLK dinner and to present her with an award recognizing her support of diversity,” said Wayne Jennings, founder and Chairman of the NHCDAC. “I commend her for making best practices in diversity and inclusion one of her initiatives as the incoming President of the NH Bar Association, and I’m confident that her tenure and leadership as President will greatly enhance the NH Bar and its members.”
Attorney Justin Richardson Obtains Judgment, $325,000 Suspended Penalty & Attorney's Fees for Municipal Client
CONCORD, NH — February 24, 2010—Upton & Hatfield, LLP attorney Justin C. Richardson achieved a judgment today from the Strafford County Superior Court for one of the firm’s municipal clients. The Court’s decision ordered the closure of an unlicensed junk yard within 90 days, imposed a suspended penalty of $325,050, and awarded $18,000 in attorney’s fees for violations of the town’s zoning ordinance and RSA 236.
Justin is a member of Upton & Hatfield, LLP’s municipal, environmental & administrative, and utility law practice groups. He practices out of the firm’s Portsmouth office.
Four Upton & Hatfield Attorneys Named “Super Lawyers” in 2009
CONCORD, NH—December 7, 2009—Law firm Upton & Hatfield, LLP, recently announced four of the practice’s attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in Super Lawyers Magazine, a publication listing the most accomplished lawyers in each state of the U.S.
Super Lawyers is a listing of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Published as a special supplement in leading newspapers and city and regional magazines across the country, Super Lawyers features articles about attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list and is distributed to all attorneys in the state or region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies and the ABA-approved law school libraries.
The honored attorneys are Robert Upton II, specializing in real estate; Gary B. Richardson, specializing in personal injury and medical malpractice; James F. Raymond, specializing in business and corporate real estate; and business litigation attorney Russell F. Hilliard, who also claims the distinction of being one of only five New Hampshire attorneys listed in “Top 100 Lawyers.”
The Super Lawyers list represents at most only five percent of attorneys from each state in the U.S., employing a rigorous selection process that involves creation of the candidate pool, evaluation of candidates and peer evaluation by practice area.
“All our attorneys at Upton & Hatfield are dedicated to personal and excellent service with a special focus on individuals, businesses, municipalities and school districts,” said Managing Partner James F. Raymond. “We constantly strive to serve our communities, and we’re honored that a panel of our peers have recognized our efforts at excellence. We’re so proud that four of us have been chosen to be included in the Super Lawyers publication.”
About Super Lawyers
Selecting attorneys for Super Lawyers is a rigorous, multiphase process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with third-party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys as a resource for other lawyers and consumers searching for legal counsel. For more information, visit http://www.superlawyers.com/index.html.
Six Attorneys at Upton & Hatfield Named "The Best Lawyers in America"® for 2009
CONCORD, NH — The New Hampshire law firm of Upton & Hatfield LLP announced that six of its attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2009 (Copyright 2009 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.). The honored attorneys are:
The Best Lawyers in America is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered one of the most respected referral lists of attorneys.
Upton & Hatfield's attorneys are dedicated to personal and excellent service with a special focus on individuals, businesses, municipalities and school districts. The New Hampshire law firm has offices in Concord, Hillsborough, Portsmouth and North Conway.
Supreme Court Honors Fred Upton
October 16, 2009
Members of the NH Supreme Court, past and present, and other guests gathered last month to honor attorney Frederic K. Upton, a longtime champion of judicial independence and a pillar of the NH legal community.
Upton, 90, the NHBA President in 1970-71, practices with the Concord law firm of Upton & Hatfield. He has long been active in public life, in the Bar; and in serving the court system as a volunteer. He was a charter member and chair of the Judicial Conduct Committee for 20 years. While Bar president, he led the effort to petition the Court to establish a unified Bar Association.
Former Chief Justice David A. Brock and retired Associate Justice William F. Batchelder made remarks. Batchelder said Upton had "all of the attributes of the typical North Country Yankee lawyer" – intelligence and a rock-hard grip on ethics. Batchelder said his wife came up with the most concise summation of his friend: "passion for justice."
Chief Justice Brock called Upton "a reliable friend" of the judiciary. "Many lawyers are remembered for what they did," Brock concluded. "But I sense you will be remembered as much for who you were."
Then, Chief Justice Broderick presented Upton with a plaque thanking him "for his unfailing professionalism, integrity and tireless support of the Judicial Branch, the Bar Association and the citizens of New Hampshire." The audience, including retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice David A. Souter, greeted Upton with a standing ovation.
Upton responded with gratitude and shared the story of how he was admitted to the Bar in 1943 without taking the bar exam. Shortly after Pearl Harbor, Upton, then in his third year of law school, left Harvard School of Law to join the Navy. He was granted his degree and then, while on leave (he earned two Bronze stars in the service), he was in Concord when he met George O. Shovan, the Clerk of the Supreme Court, who asked him if he wanted to be admitted to the Bar. "I haven’t taken the bar exam," Upton told him. No matter, Shovan told him, "All the justices are here and they will swear you in." "That very day I became a member of the bar," Upton related, adding that the late former Governor Hugh Gregg, also a World War II veteran, also was admitted in similar fashion, although, perhaps because he was in politics, he did not advertise the fact.
Upton, clearly moved by the recognition, ended his remarks with trademark simplicity. "I’ve been at it [the practice of law] better than 60 years. The law has been the love of my life—only exceeded by my love of family.
I love the law. I revere the courts. Anything I have done is in furtherance of those views. Your kindness will always be remembered."
Upton & Hatfield Attorney Margaret-Ann Moran to Receive Saint Thomas More Award from Catholic Lawyers Guild of New Hampshire
September 3, 2009
Anyone who knows Margaret-Ann Moran would not be surprised that she is the 2009 recipient of the Saint Thomas More Award for her dedicated and outstanding work in the field of education and her steadfast Catholic faith. And no one was surprised when word quickly spread she nominated someone else for the very same honor. Humility aside, this year’s recipient has spent her life following the example of giving back to the community. Saint Thomas More is the patron saint of lawyers, known for uncompromising integrity and dedication to family, community and the rule of law.
The Saint Thomas More Award is given by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of New Hampshire each year to honor a lawyer or judge who is a practicing Catholic and embodies the spirit of Saint Thomas More in courage, civility, integrity and compassion to others. The first Saint Thomas More Award was given in 2006 to Judge Martin F. Loughlin. Ironically, Moran presented the award to Judge Loughlin, whom she says was a mentor to her when she clerked for him years before.
An attorney for Upton & Hatfield in Hillsborough, Moran focuses her practice in the field of education law, giving her a chance to work closely with teachers and children. She frequently works with educators to face challenges in a proactive way at the school district level. Her peers note her creativity, intelligence and dedication in her approach to problem-solving within a school district.
Margaret-Ann Moran was raised in Manchester and attends Saint Raphael Church, the same parish where her Irish immigrant grandparents were married over 100 years ago. She attended Mount Saint Mary Day School and Trinity High School, where she credits her teachers, the Sisters of Mercy, for being an enormous influence on her development and approach to helping the community.
The Catholic Lawyers Guild will formally present the award to Moran at its annual dinner on October 8th at 6:30 at CR Sparks in Bedford. For more information about this event, call 224-8191.
Law Firm Upton & Hatfield, LLP, Names James Raymond Managing Partner
March 13, 2009
Joining the firm in 1986, James Raymond has more than 25 years of experience assisting business clients with commercial and real estate transactions, business planning and related activities. He is listed in the current Super Lawyers Corporate Counsel Edition for New Hampshire business lawyers. He is admitted to practice in the states of New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.
Raymond is also a member of the Goffstown Planning Board, moderator of the Goffstown School District and sits on the board of directors of the Concord Family YMCA.
Justin Richardson and Matthew Serge
Named Partners at Upton & Hatfield, LLP
March 13, 2009
Justin Richardson, who joined the Portsmouth branch of the firm in 2005, practices in the areas of municipal and environmental law and focuses on regulatory issues impacting both municipalities and industry. He is also Chairman of the Newington Conservation Commission and was appointed by New Hampshire Governor John Lynch in 2007 to a commission to study the causes, effects and remediation of siltation in the Great Bay Estuary. He is a member of the Environmental Law and the Telecommunications and Energy Sections of the NH Bar Association.
Formerly with George Sansoucy, PE, LLC, and the NH Attorney General’s Office, Environmental Protection Bureau, Richardson earned his JD from the University of New Hampshire School of Law.
Matthew Serge, an attorney at the Concord office of Upton & Hatfield, practices municipal and school law, focusing on serving the needs of municipalities and their local administrative boards. He also participates in numerous New Hampshire Supreme Court appeals, individually and as co-counsel.
Serge is an active member of the NH Bar Association, the NH Board of Bar Examiners, Daniel Webster Inns of Court, Concord Chorale Board of Directors, Friends of Tuckerman Ravine Board of Directors and is Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Bar Journal Editorial Board. A summa cum laude graduate and valedictorian of his class at New England School of Law, Serge resides in Manchester.
November, 2008
In the Nov 2008 issue of New England Super Lawyers, James Raymond is listed under Business/Corporate, Robert Upton is listed under Real Estate, Gary Richardson is listed under Personal Injury Plaintiff: Medical Malpractice and Russell Hilliard is listed in the top 100 under Business Litigation.
July 25, 2008
Attorneys Upton and Richardson obtain ruling for the City of Nashua to acquire Pennichuck Water Works.
July 9, 2008
The New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission approved the Fryeburg Water Company's petition for a rate increase.
Dec. 15, 2007
Six Attorneys at Upton & Hatfield Named "The Best Lawyers in America"® for 2008
Aug. 24, 2007
Russell Hilliard Ranked #1 by Chambers USA for
Commercial Litigation
Aug. 24, 2007
Upton and Raymond Ranked by Chambers USA for
Real Estate Law
May 12, 2007
Attorney Michael McGrath Joins Firm
May 1, 2007
Fred Upton To Receive New Hampshire Bar Foundation Kenison |
