Top Criminal Defense Lawyers Near Me in Concord Area

Ted Lothstein and his firm focus on criminal litigation, appeals in state and federal court, and DWI and motor vehicle defense. 3 lawyers, well over 60 years of experience. Offices in Concord & Keene, NH.

Steve is one of the founders of the firm having first come to New Hampshire as a law clerk to Federal Judge Hugh H. Bownes and then working as a federal prosecutor when Bill Shaheen was U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. He has an active and extensive trial practice, representing individuals and businesses in complex litigation in both state and federal courts. He has also been chosen to conduct internal investigations for various companies due to his experience as a federal prosecutor. Steve has been recognized as the “ideal” New Hampshire attorney, as voted by lawyers throughout the state for his work in complex litigation, criminal law, First Amendment litigation, and “Bet the Company Litigation”. He has been recognized for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers’ listings. The emphasis of his practice has been in the area of white-collar criminal defense, business litigation, and First Amendment defense.. Most recently, Steve successfully represented the New Hampshire woman who won the January 2018 Powerball Lottery worth $560 million in her lawsuit to remain anonymous. In writing about the litigation, the New York Times described Steve and Bill Shaheen as New Hampshire’s “high-powered” attorneys.. In September 2017, Steve successfully obtained a record-breaking $275 million jury verdict on behalf of three businessmen in a New Hampshire defamation lawsuit. It was the largest civil judgment in New Hampshire’s history and nationally the sixth-largest civil verdict for 2017. He earlier obtained a precedent-breaking victory against mobster Whitey Bulger and the FBI resulting in a Massachusetts Federal District Court finding the FBI legally responsible for the wrongful death of one of its top echelon confidential informants, literally at the hands of Bulger.. Over the course of his career, Steve has represented a range of individuals and businesses in the Federal District Courts of New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts in federal criminal investigations. He also has a vigorous New Hampshire state court practice, representing corporations and individuals involved in corporate disputes related to breaches of fiduciary duties, contract disputes, and shareholder disputes. In addition, he counsels and represents financial institutions and brokers in regulatory matters. Steve has also represented a number of corporations in conducting internal investigations as part of the law firm’s corporate governance practice. He has advised and assisted corporate boards of directors in exercising their duties and responsibilities under the Sarbanes-Oxley statute, and has lectured on the subject. He also has an active practice representing lawyers before New Hampshire’s Professional Conduct Committee and was successful in challenging the process by which the New Hampshire Bar Association summarily suspends attorneys who are charged with criminal offenses.

Paul Maggiotto was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from the State University of New York (S.U.N.Y.) at Buffalo and attended Northeastern Law School, graduating in 1984. Paul started his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York (King’s Co.) from 1984-1990. He prosecuted primarily sex crimes and homicides as an Assistant in the Special Victims Unit and Homicide Bureau. In 1990, he was recruited by the New Hampshire’s Attorney General Office to prosecute homicides. As an Assistant Attorney General, Paul was lead counsel in what was probably New Hampshire’s most famous murder trial, State v. Pamela Smart, which was covered by news organizations across the world and led to the publications of two books, and produced two movies that covered the trial. Paul’s courtroom work in that case was recognized as “outstanding” and “brilliant” in news editorials.. In 1993, Paul entered private practice concentrating his trial skills for individuals facing personal problems. His practice focuses on personal injury, criminal defense and family law. Paul’s personal injury practice has included sexual harassment, auto accidents, medical malpractice, and debilitating injuries, resulting in verdicts and settlements of several hundred thousand to over a million dollars. He is admitted in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York.. As a criminal defense lawyer, Paul has also handled cases that have attracted national attention. Paul was defense counsel in State v. Hungerford, which was one of the first cases in the country to challenge the reliability of the recovery of repressed memories. Experts from across the country in various scientific fields testified which led to all charges against Paul’s client being dismissed.. In addition to criminal defense, Paul has used his litigations skills and life experience to represent individuals in high stake divorces, whether the issues are what is in the best interests of the children or the evaluation and distribution of millions of dollars of assets.. Paul has been very active in the community. He is a long serving member and Past President of the New Hampshire Association of Justice. He served six years on the Board of the Friends of Concord Crew, two years as president. He was Vice President of Express Soccer Club for eleven years as well as a coach. He has volunteered as a coach for the Concord Recreation Department's basketball and soccer programs. He currently sits on the Arthritis Foundation New Hampshire Advisory Board.. After raising his two sons in Concord, Paul has relocated to Lower Suncook Lake in Center Barnstead where he has taken up sculling. He is an avid road bicyclist, who has participated in numerous fundraising rides for the Pan Mass Challenge, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Prouty and Payson.

Originally from Toronto, Canada, Kristen has a Honors B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and a J.D. and Certificate in Criminal Advocacy from Charlotte School of Law. Kristen has a passion for details and trivia - she brings that same passion to each client she zealously represents.

My goal is provide quality and client-centered representation for every client.  I have more than two decades in practice and have represented thousands of clients charged with the full spectrum of criminal offenses from motor vehicle to homicides.

Leah Cole Durst represents clients facing a range of legal challenges, which are often unexpected and can have a severe impact on an individual’s or family’s future. Leah specializes in criminal defense while also assisting clients in civil rights matters. Leah gained significant experience in criminal defense through positions at the Federal Defender Office in Boston, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and a private Boston firm.. She is skilled at completing detailed research and developing legal documents, including complaint narratives, motions to dismiss, and petitions for habeas corpus, to further a client’s case.. Before joining Shaheen & Gordon, Leah worked as a staff attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services. She participated in their COVID Eviction Legal Help Program (CELHP) to provide legal information, assistance, and representation to low-income tenants affected by COVID-19. She is passionate about using her knowledge to help people through difficult times and volunteered additional legal services during the graduated from the Northeastern University School of Law with a criminal justice concentration. She served as chair of the school’s chapter of If/When/How—Lawyering for Reproductive Justice and also participated in the Women’s Law Caucus.

Lauren Breda is a member of Shaheen and Gordon’s criminal defense group. A native of New Hampshire, Lauren has over a decade of experience in the court system, both behind the scenes as a law clerk and in trial as a public defender. Lauren represents clients charged with serious misdemeanor and felony crimes including homicide, physical and sexual assaults, thefts, drug offenses, driving while intoxicated, other driving offenses, and juvenile matters.. Lauren takes a client-centered approach to any case. Criminal accusations and potential convictions can be life changing. The stress associated with going through the court system is immeasurable. At the heart of Lauren’s representation are her client’s goals: whether that means mitigating potential consequences and reaching a fair resolution or fighting the charges through a trial.. Prior to joining Shaheen and Gordon, Lauren worked at the New Hampshire Public Defender as a trial attorney. During her time with the public defender, Lauren represented over a thousand clients facing charges ranging from driving offenses to homicides. She has extensive courtroom and trial experience in several counties in New Hampshire. Lauren also works closely with the University of New Hampshire School of Law, teaching a course in Advanced Trial Advocacy.

Laura, or Laurie to friends, focuses her practice on criminal defense, DWI, traffic/speeding violations and potentially capital murder trial work.  After 8 years as a partner at Baker Billick, P.A. with her husband, Luke Baker and her good friend Amber Billick, Laurie decided to really focus on what she is passionate about: criminal trial work.. Laurie is member of the 2002 graduating class of Emory University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Sociology. Laurie attended law school at Campbell University's Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law and graduated in 2007. While in law school, Laurie quickly took a leadership role, by being elected as a student representative in the Student Bar Association, a Justice on the Honor Court, and Dean ("president") of the Delta Theta Phi Chapter at Campbell. In addition to excelling in leadership, Laurie also displayed early promise as a litigator while in law school. Laurie was invited in her second year of law school to be a member of one of Campbell's mock trial teams, an honor typically reserved exclusively for third year law students. Upon graduation, Laurie was inducted into the prestigious Order of Barristers for her service to her alma mater and her having displayed excellence in the art of trial advocacy. While in law school Laurie also was asked to join one of Campbell's moot court teams and represented the school at the regional competition. Laurie was also an active member of the Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity as well as being Dean for 2 years.. Born and raised in La Grange, Texas, Laura M. "Laurie" Baker is a native Texan who found herself in North Carolina in 2004 to attend law school.  Luke and Laurie met in law school where they were members of the same law fraternity (Delta Theta Phi) and were partners on the same mock trial team.  The Bakers married in November of 2008 and are the proud parents of their son, Garrett, and their daughter, Audrey.

Joseph Cherniske is a member of Shaheen & Gordon’s criminal defense group. He has over a decade of experience in the criminal justice system, and the insight he brings to the table as a former prosecutor is invaluable to clients. Joe represents clients charged with serious misdemeanor and felony crimes, including homicides, physical and sexual assaults, thefts, drug offenses, DWI/DUI, and other driving offenses.. Joe recognizes the life-changing consequences these charges can have and uses an aggressive and knowledgeable approach to prevent or mitigate them.. Prior to joining Shaheen & Gordon, Joe worked at the New Hampshire Office of the Attorney General in the Criminal Bureau, where he was assigned to the Joint Youth Development Center Task Force and the homicide unit. As one of the lead prosecutors assigned to the Joint Youth Development Center Task Force, he was responsible for the investigation and prosecution of hundreds of complex felony sexual and physical assault allegations stemming from the state’s Youth Development Center. As a member of the homicide unit, he assisted in homicide investigations and prosecutions statewide.. Joe began his legal career at the Merrimack County Attorney’s Office, where he handled over 60 jury trials and hundreds of cases, including those involving drug crimes, crimes against children, domestic violence offenses, property crimes, motor vehicle-related crimes, DWI/DUI offenses, violent crimes, firearm crimes, and crimes involving theft and fraud.. Joe has also taught law enforcement cadets about the criminal code and spent significant time educating law enforcement officers about proper investigative techniques. He has a deep understanding of police standards and training, which benefits clients who seek to ensure the proper procedures are followed and their rights are upheld.. Joe is a dedicated member of the New Hampshire community, serving on multiple boards and committees. He has been admitted to practice in the state since 2010.

Jim is a Partner at Shaheen & Gordon, P.A. and the Chair of its Criminal Defense Practice Group.. A native of Concord, New Hampshire, Jim brings substantial courtroom experience to Shaheen & Gordon’s litigation team, focusing his practice in the areas of criminal defense, white-collar defense, and DWI / DUI defense. He defends clients in a range of criminal cases throughout state and federal courts, often taking on difficult and well-publicized criminal cases. Through his straightforward and aggressive approach to courtroom work, Jim regularly earns victories for clients in matters large and small. He assists clients in mitigating the stigmatizing impact of criminal charges through effective negotiations and, when those negotiations reach an impasse, Jim tries his cases, regularly winning not-guilty verdicts after bench and jury trials. He has extensive trial experience in New Hampshire’s District and Superior Courts. He has successfully argued several appeals before the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He defends major crimes and minor offenses, representing clients in cases involving homicide, vehicular homicide, assault, sexual assault, public integrity matters, computer crimes, drug possession and drug distribution, theft, pornography, impaired driving, and DWI / DUI, as well as a range of motor vehicle offenses.. Jim has been repeatedly recognized for his outstanding work as a criminal defense lawyer. Since 2015, Best Lawyers in America and New Hampshire Magazine have named Jim among the top attorneys in New Hampshire in the areas of General Criminal Defense, White-Collar Criminal Defense, and DUI / DWI Defense. In fact, he is the ONLY criminal defense attorney in New Hampshire named by Best Lawyers in all three of these criminal defense categories. Jim was named “Lawyer of the Year” five times: 2024 (Criminal Defense: General Practice), 2023 (Criminal Defense: White-Collar), 2022 (Criminal Defense: General Practice), 2020 (Criminal Defense: White-Collar), and 2018 (Criminal Defense: White-Collar). These unique distinctions are in addition to his several industry honors for his criminal defense and DUI / DWI work. He was named to the Super Lawyers Rising Star List in Criminal Defense from 2008-2014, a list that includes only 2.5 percent of lawyers in New Hampshire. In 2015, he was promoted to the Super Lawyers List in Criminal Defense, an honor that has repeated itself for 9 years, between 2015-2018 and 2020-2024. Only 5% of lawyers in New Hampshire qualify. AVVO gave Jim its highest rating, a 10.0.. Jim has been honored for his commitment to New Hampshire’s legal community. In 2024, the Mayor of the City of Concord named Jim to the City’s Board of Ethics. In 2010, Governor Lynch appointed him to the Judicial Selection Commission, which is responsible for interviewing, investigating, and recommending candidates to the Governor to fill state court judicial vacancies. In 2013, Governor Hassan promoted him to serve as the Co-Chair of the Judicial Selection Commission, making him responsible for managing the Commission, a position he occupied through 2016. In 2005, the Union Leader named him to its 40 Under 40 list – an annual collection of the State’s “young leaders” selected by the State’s only newspaper of statewide circulation.. Prior to joining the firm, Jim served for four years as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Justice Bureau of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office. As a prosecutor, he appeared in every Superior Court in New Hampshire, tried several white-collar, theft, and homicide cases, and routinely argued appellate cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. At the Attorney General’s Office, Jim was ultimately assigned to the Homicide Unit where he was one of five prosecutors responsible for the investigation and prosecution of all murder cases, statewide.. Jim began his legal career with the law firm of Testa, Hurwitz, and Thibeault in Boston, Massachusetts where he served in the litigation department and represented corporate clients in white-collar criminal matters, intellectual property disputes, and employment cases.

I opened my law practice to serve the community, and to help those who desperately need an attorney. Whether I am assisting a client with estate planning, a traffic citation or providing pro bono legal representation in the community, my main goal is to always be available to my clients and to help them navigate the legal field as easily as possible. Please call me for a free consultation today!

I grew up in the Nashua area and graduated from UNH and Suffolk Law School.. I have practiced law in Concord since 1999.

Attorney Tom Reid is a former chief prosecutor with over 23 years of trial experience.  He has handled cases throughout New Hampshire at all levels of state and federal courts.  Attorney Reid knows police investigators, prosecutors and Judges, and how different types of cases are handled by different jurisdictions. He has the knowledge and experience to evaluate your case, and achieve the best result.

Attorney Susan A. Lowry practices in the areas of criminal defense, personal injury, employment law, and municipal law with Upton & Hatfield, LLP of New Hampshire. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in civil litigation.Attorney Lowry graduated from St. Olaf College with a B.A. in political science in 2002. She attended Vermont Law School and worked as a judicial extern for Justice Denise R. Johnson of the Vermont Supreme Court and Magistrate Judge Robert J. Johnston of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada before graduating in 2008. Then, she worked in the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office before starting in private practice.Attorney Lowry is the president of the Rockingham County Bar Association and a member of the Charles C. Doe Inns of Court, the New Hampshire Association for Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the New Hampshire Association for Justice.

Attorney Jonathan Cohen is an experienced trial attorney whose practice
areas include criminal defense, motor vehicle offenses and personal
injury law.. Attorney Cohen worked at the law firm of Bernstein Shur, PA in
Manchester where he focused on personal injury, civil litigation and
employment matters. Previously he worked at the firm of Twomey and Sisti
and handled criminal defense and motor vehicle related matters. He has
served as an adjunct professor at Franklin Pierce College, teaching
courses in civil and criminal law. Attorney Cohen has appeared in courts
at all levels in every county in New Hampshire. He is an experienced
and successful trial attorney.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in Concord and surrounding areas.