Cathy is “of counsel” at Shaheen and Gordon, P.A., and a member of its criminal practice group.
Cathy started her career as a public defender in 1977 and has extensive experience in state and federal criminal defense. She understands and appreciates how difficult and traumatic it can be to face an investigation or be charged with a criminal offense. Many of her clients are students or professionals, and any criminal conviction can have devastating consequences. Her approach to cases is to provide aggressive but realistic counsel, with an emphasis on preventing or mitigating charges and ultimate punishment. Much of her most successful representation has resulted in no or significantly reduced charges and consequences.
She represents individuals and businesses in all types of cases, from minor motor vehicle and drug offenses to major white-collar investigations, felony sexual assaults, and all levels of homicide. She has had significant jury trial experience in her over forty years devoted to criminal defense.
Cathy has been widely recognized for her ability as a criminal defense attorney. In 1996, she was inducted as a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor which is limited to 1% of the top lawyers in each state. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America in the field of criminal defense for the past 25 years. She has also been recognized for years as a lead criminal defense attorney by Super Lawyers, which in 2018 named her as one of the top 100 lawyers in New England. Cathy has received numerous honors including the New Hampshire Bar Association’s Donald Dufresne Award for Outstanding Professionalism, the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association’s Marilla M. Ricker award, and the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Champion of Justice Award.
Cathy serves on numerous Boards and Committees. She chairs the Board of the New Hampshire Public Defender. She is a trustee on the University System of New Hampshire Board. She serves as an advisor to the American Law Institute’s Project on Principles of the Law, Student Sexual Misconduct: Procedural Frameworks for Colleges and Universities. She has been a member of New Hampshire’s InterBranch Criminal and Juvenile Justice Council for many years. She is a founder and served as the President of the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers for over a decade.
Before joining Shaheen and Gordon, P.A., Cathy was a partner in the criminal defense firm of Green and Utter, P.A. in Manchester, New Hampshire.
