On February 17, 2012, Attorney Ecker attended NHAJ’s Annual Family Law Forum in Bedford, New Hampshire. This conference is one of the of the most widely attended continuing legal education conferences in New Hampshire, and Attorney Ecker tries to attend this seminar annually in order to bolster her foundation of legal knowledge on family law topics. Each year this seminar invites several marital masters or judges to attend to provide a “View from the Bench” with their insight on various topics, and opening up to questions from attendees. This year, Masters Robert Foley, Michael Garner, Nancy Geiger, and Jennifer Lemire provided the attendees with their perspective. Topics this year included: The Guardian ad Litem Process and Recent Developments In the Law, Marital Estate Division and Valuation, Child Support Enforcement, Relocations and Other Parenting Plan Modifications, Collaborative Law and Mediation, and Domestic Violence Petitions. If you have any questions about these or any other family law topics, contact Attorney Ecker.
Category: News
The Meeting Place Begins Construction on Phase 2
DTC is pleased to have worked with Felder Kuehl Properties, LLC, 6 Meeting Place Drive Exeter Limited Partnership, NH Housing Finance Authority, TD Bank, N.A., Community Development Finance Authority (Rockingham County) and the Town of Exeter to facilitate the land use permitting and financing for the construction of Phase II of The Meeting Place project on Epping Road in Exeter, NH. Phase II consists of 26 units of low income elderly and handicapped housing. Construction is expected to be complete by Summer 2012.
Attorney Beth MacDonald to Present at NHBA CLE on Basic Real Estate Practice
Attorney Beth MacDonald will serve on the panel presenting the NH Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education seminar on Basic Real Estate Practice. The CLE program will be hold on Friday, May 11, 2012 at the NH Bar Center in Concord, NH. For more information and on-line registration, please go to http://www.nhbar.org/NHBACLE.
Attorney Chris Boldt to Speak at NHBA CLE on the Revised Real Estate Title Standards
Attorney Chris Boldt will once again serve on the panel presenting the NH Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education seminar on the Revised Title Standards. This CLE program will be held on Wednesday, April 10, 2012 at the NH Bar Center in Concord, NH. Since 2004, Chris has served on the State Bar’s Title Standards Subcommittee addressing the ever-evolving issues surrounding real estate titles raised by legislation and court decisions affecting liens, mortgages and various property rights. For more information and on line registration, please go to http://nhbar.org/NHBACLE/.
Attorney Mansfield Becomes Member of DTC
Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC is pleased to announce that Douglas M. Mansfield has become a Member of the Firm. Doug came to DTC after serving as an Assistant Corporation Counsel with the City of New York and General Counsel for New York City’s Animal Control. Doug advises our business, municipal and individual clients in employment and labor matters as well as business law. Doug is a committed volunteer in New Hampshire, presently serving on several non-profit boards, including the Portsmouth Museum of Art. Doug is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and Albany Law School of Union University.
Attorney Ecker Admitted to the Maine Bar
On November 22 , 2011, Attorney Jessica Ecker was sworn in as a member of the Maine Bar, taking her oath at a small ceremony in Bangor. Attorney Ecker would like to extend the services she offers in the areas of family law, probate litigation, and real estate to residents of Maine, who often work in the Portsmouth area. After attending a comprehensive two day seminar in Augusta this summer on Maine Family Law practice, Attorney Ecker is excited to share her knowledge and experience with potential new clients who reside in Maine. Please click here for more information about Attorney Ecker, or to contact her.
Attorney Chris Boldt Elected Chair of the NH Bar’s Municipal and Government Law Section
At its September meeting, members of the NH Bar Association’s Municipal and Government Law Section elected Attorney Chris Boldt to serve as its 2011-2012 Chair. Chris is responsible for leading and coordinating Section activities, including Continuing Legal Education programs, Section meetings and interactions with the Association’s Board of Govenors.
Attorneys Boldt Wins Victories Before NH Supreme Court
In the case of Brandt Development Co. of New Hampshire, LLC v. City of Somersworth, decided October 12, 2011, Attorney Chris Boldt successfully argued before the N.H. Supreme Court that the City’s Zoning Board of Adjustment was required to hear and decide the merits of his client’s variance application under Fisher v. Dover analysis. The ZBA had rejected the variance application on the basis that a similar application was submitted 15 years prior. The Supreme Court held that the various changes in the Court’s interpretation of the variance standard over the last 15 years constituted a material change warranting a review of the 2009 application. On remand, the Court noted that the prior Boccia standard for unnecessary hardship would apply to the area variance issues in question.
Attorney Chris Boldt also prevailed on behalf of the City of Berlin in the tax abatement action concerning the Burgess Mill property entitled North American Dismantling Corp. v. City of Berlin, decided September 15, 2011. Attorney Boldt argued that the trial court properly affirmed the City’s valuation of the plaintiff’s property and denied the plaintiff’s tax abatement request following a multi-day bench trial. The Supreme Court agreed and decided the case based on the briefs without the need for oral argument.
NAELA Presents Attorney Riddell with Ann Butenhof Award
The New Hampshire Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) presented DTC estate planning and elder law attorney, Joy Riddell, with the Ann Butenhof Award for her significant contribution to the New Hampshire Chapter as the Program Committee Chair and Treasurer for the year 2011. NAELA is an association of lawyers with expertise in elder law who work together to improve the lives of seniors and people with special needs through advocacy and providing legal services in the areas of estate planning, guardianships, public benefits like Medicaid and long term care planning.
Joy Riddell Speaks at Stratham 76ers Seniors Group
DTC estate planning and elder law attorney, Joy Riddell, was a recent speaker at the Stratham 76ers Seniors Group which meets at the Stratham Fire Department. She discussed particular estate planning matters, including the temporary federal estate tax relief legislation, benefits of revocable trusts, long term care options, Medicaid, special needs trusts and financial and health care powers of attorney.