Fran Murphy successfully tried to a verdict of $170,000 of a homeowner’s claim for damages to a Hampton Beach home.  In connection with a municipal infrastructure improvement project, heavy construction equipment was operated in the roadways adjacent to our client’s home.  A combination of the dewatering performed by the contractor and the vibrations caused by the heavy equipment caused the foundation of the house to crack and buckle.  The insurance company defended the claim and argued that the condition of the foundation pre-existed the construction.  The insurance company offered $0 to settle the claim and forced a jury trial in the Rockingham County Superior Court.

Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. is pleased to announce that Attorney Paul R. Kfoury, Sr. has joined the firm.  Attorney Kfoury is a former State of New Hampshire district court judge, past president of the Manchester Bar Association, past president of the Manchester Country Club, former Director of The Bedford Bank, former general counsel to the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as an adjunct instructor of Business Law in the MBA program at the University of New Hampshire at Manchester. Attorney Kfoury is the former president of The Hundred Club of New Hampshire and currently serves as a director.

Attorney Kfoury focuses his practice on business law and civil litigation to include complex business and probate litigation, as well as personal injury litigation.  Attorney Kfoury will work primarily out of the firm’s Manchester, New Hampshire office.

Attorney Bill Christie recently represented a client charged with Aggravated Felonious Sexual Assault and Sexual Assault in the Merrimack County Superior Court.  After a three-day trial, the jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges.

At trial, the State presented as witnesses the complaining witness and four family members and friends to corroborate her testimony.  Attorney Christie’s client testified in his own defense.  Through cross-examination of the State’s witnesses, Attorney Christie established several significant inconsistencies in the complaining witness’ story.  In his closing, Attorney Christie argued to the jury his client was truthful when denying any wrongdoing and the State’s case was riddled with inconsistencies.  The jury returned not guilty verdicts on all charges exonerating Attorney Christie’s client of the allegations against him.

Shaheen & Gordon congratulates Fran Murphy on being re-elected as an independent member of the DWS Trust Company Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board’s Audit Committee.  Mr. Murphy was re-elected on April 26, 2010 at DWS’s annual meeting in Salem, New Hampshire. DWS is New Hampshire’s largest financial institution, serving as Trustee for over $15 Billion in fiduciary assets, mainly retirement accounts. Mr. Murphy was an original incorporator of the bank in 1989.  Fran Murphy is an attorney with Shaheen & Gordon and works out of the firm’s Manchester, New Hampshire office.

The law firm of Shaheen & Gordon congratulates Jeanne and Billy Shaheen for earning a Lifetime of Service award from City Year, an honor they will receive at City Year’s annual Starry Starry Night Benefit Gala on March 27, 2010.  We very much wish to join the chorus of praise for the Shaheen’s service to our State, commitment to City Year and seemingly limitless energy in support of causes that benefit all those in the Granite State.  The Foster’s Daily Democrat rightly noted that “It takes something extra special to juggle vocations, avocations and the raising of a family as the Shaheens have done.”  At Shaheen & Gordon, we couldn’t be prouder.  Shaheen & Gordon, PA is a full service law firm with offices in Dover, Concord and Manchester, New Hampshire, specializing in representing individual and institutional clients in a wide range of matters, including Corporate and Business, personal injury and workers compensation, criminal defense and DWI/DUI, family law and divorce, as well as wills, trusts and estate planning.

The law firm of Shaheen & Gordon is proud to announce that it is opening its doors at a new location in Manchester at 80 Merrimack Street – a building directly across from the Hillsborough County Superior Courthouse, the Manchester Police Department and long known as a cornerstone of the Manchester legal community.

As part of Shaheen & Gordon’s Manchester expansion, Attorneys Fran Murphy and Ed Stewart have joined the Firm and will continue their work at the 80 Merrimack Street location.  For a quarter of a century, Attorney Murphy has been representing clients in a wide variety of litigation matters, focusing on plaintiff’s personal injury cases.  Attorney Stewart has been representing individuals in workers compensation and personal injury cases for over 30 years and has been recognized since 1995 for his outstanding advocacy by the Best Lawyers in America Workers’ Compensation Section.

The opening of the Firm’s Manchester office adds to its existing offices in Concord and Dover and reflects Shaheen &  Gordon’s growing reputation as Northern New England’s premiere law firm.  Shaheen & Gordon represents individual and institutional clients in a broad range of legal matters, including health care, business and corporate, litigation, criminal defense and DWI, plaintiffs personal injury and workers’ compensation, social security disability, family law and divorce, employment, estate planning, and probate.

Attorneys Christine Craig and Michael Noonan recently won another hard fought battle to protect New England consumers from the unfair and deceptive acts of big business.  This time, Shaheen & Gordon fought on behalf of Vermont consumers against Honeywell International, Inc. and for the first time in Vermont history obtained class certification in a contested case of this kind.

 In the case of Wright v. Honeywell, Craig and Noonan represent a class of Vermont consumers who paid inflated prices for the Honeywell Round Thermostat due to Honeywell’s unfair, deceptive and anti-competitive acts in violation of the Vermont Consumer Fraud Act.  Attorney Craig moved and argued for class certification in Orange County Superior Court.  Though the Superior Court suspected that Honeywell engaged in unfair acts, it denied class certification on the basis that consumers could not prove with common evidence that Honeywell’s acts impacted each consumer.  This ruling would have essentially ended the case if not for the successful appeal that followed.  Attorney Craig appealed the denial to the Vermont Supreme Court arguing that the lower court misapprehended the appropriate legal standards and burden of proof at the class certification stage of the litigation.  After extensive briefing and oral argument at the Vermont Supreme Court in Montpelier, the Court reversed the lower court’s decision and ruled that the consumer class be certified thus preserving the right of consumers to fight back against Honeywell.

Attorneys Craig and Noonan focus their practice of law on personal injury cases.  Shaheen & Gordon is a full service law firm helping individuals in the areas of family law, criminal defense, personal injury law, workers’ compensation, social security disability and business and institutional matters.

On November 18, 2009, Cinde Warmington participated as a speaker in a teleconference sponsored by the New Hampshire Health Privacy and Security Partnership.

The presentation reviewed the HIPAA changes arising out of the HITECH Act including the breach notification requirements. This information is of critical importance to both health care providers and their business associates as the deadline for compliance approaches.

Copies of the presentation materials can be obtained by clicking on the links below. Providers and business associates with questions may contact Cinde Warmington at cwarmington@shaheengordon.com.

HIPAA Changes [PPT]

HIPAA Decision Matrix [PDF]

Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. filed a Petition in Belknap County Superior Court on November 13, 2009 on behalf of investors of Financial Resources Mortgage, Inc. and C L and M, Inc.  The Petition which also named Scott Farah and Donald Dodge was granted by the Court.  As a result of the Temporary Order of the Court, the assets of Financial Resources Mortgage Inc., C L and M, Inc., Scott Farah, Donald Dodge and other related companies were frozen.  The Court also ordered that C L and M be removed as servicing agent for any loans where payments are due to the investors they represent.  Individuals with loans will be instructed to send payments to Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. and the money will be held in escrow until further order of the Court.  Upon being contacted by investors, Shaheen & Gordon, PA took immediate steps to protect investors’  assets.  Investors of Financial Resources Mortgage Inc. and C L and M may contact Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. with questions about how to protect their assets.

For the second year running, we are proud to announce that Attorneys Steven Gordon and Arpy Saunders were named to the New England Super Lawyers list while Attorney Jim Rosenberg was named to the New England Super Lawyers Rising Stars List.  Attorney Gordon and Attorney Rosenberg were honored for their accomplishments in the area of criminal defense and Attorney Saunders was recognized for his expertise in health care law.  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. Only 5% of lawyers from New Hampshire are eligible to be named to the Super Lawyers list and only 2.5% of lawyers from New Hampshire are eligible to be named to the Rising Stars list.