A native of Dover New Hampshire, Bill has been practicing law throughout the State of New Hampshire for the last fifty (50) years. In that fifty years, he’s had many challenging and rewarding achievements. He first started practicing in 1973 with a retired judge. The practice focused primarily on civil litigation. In addition, he became the City Attorney for the City of Somersworth. In 1977, President Carter asked him to serve as U.S. Attorney for the State of New Hampshire and he held that position for four (4) years. After that, in 1981, he opened his new practice with Steve Gordon, and they have been partners ever since. Also, in that same year, Governor Gallen appointed Bill to be the District Court Judge for the Durham District Court.
Bill has successfully tried many personal injury cases and divorce cases on behalf of his clients. He has received substantial monetary awards for his personal injury clients as well as obtaining favorable judgments for his divorce clients. In conjunction with his successful personal injury and divorce trial work, one of Bill’s great assets is his ability to negotiate. This ability has resulted in significant successes for his business and corporate clients in mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, and business formation. Bill continues to represent many local, regional, and national multimillion-dollar businesses.
He also successfully represented the New Hampshire woman who won the January 2018 Powerball Lottery worth $560 million.
Admissions
- New Hampshire State Bar
- U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- United States Supreme Court
Career
- Senior Counsel, Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., 1981-Present
- Judge, Durham, NH, District Court, 1981-1996
- U.S. Attorney, District of New Hampshire, youngest in the country, 1976-1981
- City Attorney, City of Somersworth, NH, 1974-1976
Professional Associations
- Saint Anslem's College New Hampshire Institute of Politics, Advisory Board
- New Hampshire Heart Association, Former Chairman
- New Hampshire District Court Judges Association, Former President
- Co-Chaired Jimmy Carter's Presidential Primary campaign in New Hampshire
- Chaired VP Al Gore's Presidential Primary campaign in New Hampshire
- Chaired Senator John Kerry's Primary campaign in New Hampshire
- Chaired Senator Clinton's Presidential Primary campaign in New Hampshire
- Member of the State Steering Committee for President Obama
Awards & Honors
- NH Business Review’s 2020 New Hampshire 200 Award – The Granite State’s Most Influential Business Leaders
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2021-2024 for work in Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
- Selected to Super Lawyers 2013 and 2014
- Named in 2005 by New Hampshire Business Review as one of the Top Powerful People in the State of New Hampshire
Education
- H.S., Dover High School, 1961
- B.A., University of New Hampshire, 1965
- Captain, U.S. Army, 1965-1969
- J.D., University of Mississippi, second in class, 1973
