Bill is the Chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and concentrates
in the areas of federal and state criminal defense, complex civil litigation,
heath care law, and election law.
He has been recognized for his creative legal work and accomplishments
by various groups. Bill has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in criminal
defense and is serving a third term as District Representative under the
Criminal Justice Act for the Federal District Court of New Hampshire.
In the civil realm, he is a recipient of the Bill of Rights Award from
The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union and the Granite Justice Award
from the New Hampshire Democratic Party. He serves as an officer and legal
counsel for the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Bill has successfully litigated claims against the State of New Hampshire
in the areas of Election Law and First Amendment Law. In
Guare v. State, the New Hampshire Supreme Court agreed with Bill’s arguments that
newly adopted language on the New Hampshire voter registration form was
unconstitutional. In
Rideout v. Gardner, the First Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the New Hampshire “ballot
selfie” law. On Election Day in 2014 and 2016, Bill convinced the
New Hampshire Superior Court to extend polling hours in order to protect
the right to vote. Bill has represented numerous elected officials and
political organizations in a variety of legal matters.
In the early 2000s, Bill was appointed by a federal judge to serve as lead
plaintiffs’ counsel in seven consolidated wrongful death lawsuits
pending against the U.S. government in Federal Court in Boston arising
from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s relationship with longtime
Boston criminals and FBI informants James “Whitey” Bulger
and Stephen “the Rifleman” Flemmi. After a six-year legal
battle, Bill obtained a $3.1 million-dollar judgment against the government
in 2006 that was described by the Boston Herald as “justice at last”
for the plaintiff’s family and the community. In October 2010, Bill
obtained a $925,000 award of attorneys’ fees against the United
States after proving that government attorneys acted in bad faith when
defending the lawsuit.
Bill also focuses on federal criminal defense and has obtained not guilty
verdicts for clients charged with numerous offenses including tax evasion,
embezzlement, aggravated sexual assault, first- and second-degree assault,
and music bootlegging offenses. By employing a creative pretrial strategy,
Bill has convinced prosecutors in many cases not to charge clients under
investigation or to dismiss charges prior to trial based upon legal or
factual defenses brought to the government’s attention.
Additionally, he represents health care practices and other businesses
involved in regulatory or commercial disputes.
From 2014 to 2018, Bill was a member of the firm’s Management Committee.
He is currently on the Board of the Friendly Kitchen in Concord, New Hampshire.
In 2012, Bill was inducted into the Rockland High School Hall of Fame.
Admissions
- Member of the Bar – New Hampshire
- Member of the Bar – Massachusetts
- United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire
- United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
- First Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
Professional Associations and Memberships
- New Hampshire Bar Association
- New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Super Lawyers
Recognition
- Recipient of The 2014 Bill of Rights Award from The New Hampshire Civil
Liberties Union
- Granite State Justice Award from the New Hampshire Democratic Party
- Inducted into the Rockland High School Hall of Fame in June 2012 based
upon academic and career achievements
- Member of the Merit Selection Panel for the selection of the Magistrate
Judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire
- Unanimously elected as Officer and Legal Counsel to the New Hampshire Democratic Party
Community Involvement:
- Board of the Friendly Kitchen, Concord, New Hampshire
- Former Board Member of the Concord Family YMCA
- Inducted into the Rockland High School Hall of Fame, 2012
Career
- B.A., Boston College, 1989 (Gasson Scholar Phi Beta Kappa)
- J.D., Boston College Law School, 1994
- Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., 1995-Present