Ben practices in the interrelated areas of probate litigation, elder law (including Medicaid eligibility), and estate planning. Ben represents clients in probate disputes involving incapacitated adults or following the death of a loved one. Ben is sensitive to the emotionally charged aspects of such matters, creative in reaching a negotiated or litigated resolution, tenacious when necessary, and efficient in avoiding unnecessary litigation costs. He tries cases before both state courts and the federal court in New Hampshire and has handled appeals of lower court decisions.
Ben also assists clients with estate planning, focusing on the needs of the elderly, retirees and near-retirees, high net worth clients, clients with special needs, same-sex couples, and young families. Ben practices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and can advise clients whose personal affairs spread across multiple states. Ben drafted and successfully advocated for passage of legislation that substantially simplified the administration of uncontested New Hampshire estates with multiple beneficiaries.
Ben is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), an organization of trust and estate lawyers and law professors who have been elected by their peers in recognition of having made outstanding contributions to the practice of trust and estate law.
Ben also serves as in-house ethics counsel for Shaheen and Gordon and has served as a voter protection attorney in every federal election cycle beginning in 2012.
Prior to joining Shaheen and Gordon, Ben was the William J. Brennan Fellow at the national office of the American Civil Liberties Union, where he worked in the Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. Ben also clerked for the Honorable Janet C. Hall of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut and the Honorable William A. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Admissions
- New Hampshire State Bar
- Massachusetts State Bar
- New York State Bar
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
Career
- Partner, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., 2016 - present
- Associate Attorney, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., 2011–2016
- William J. Brennan Fellow, American Civil Liberties Union, 2010–2011
- Law Clerk, Honorable William A. Fletcher, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 2009–2010
- Law Clerk, Honorable Janet C. Hall, U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, 2008–2009
Professional Associations
- Fellow, American College of Trust and Estates Counsel
- American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, Board Member
- National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, former Board Member and Former New Hampshire Chapter President
- New Hampshire Supreme Court Society, Former Board Member
- New Hampshire Bar Association, Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Probate Law Section, Member
Community Involvement
- Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, former Board Chair
- Low-Income Taxpayer Assistance Program
Awards & Honors
- Named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers for Litigation – Trusts and Estates, Concord 2021 and 2023
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2020-2024 for work in Litigation - Trusts and Estates
- Selected to Super Lawyers 2020-2023
- Selected to Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2017-2019
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating
Education
- B.A., Harvard College, 2003
- J.D., Yale Law School, 2008
Publications & Presentations
- Co-Editor, A Practical Guide to Probate in New Hampshire (MCLE, 1st edition 2018)
- Author, Setting up a multigenerational household? It pays to plan ahead, New Hampshire Business Review (2016)
- Author, A Few Traps for the Unwary When Using Will and Power of Attorney Forms, New Hampshire Bar News (March 2015)
