Gordon Graham received his undergraduate degree from Duke University (A.B., cum laude, 1980) and his law degree from Suffolk University (J.D., 1986). He was admitted to the New Hampshire Bar in 1986. He was a Law Clerk for the New Hampshire Superior Court from 1986-1987. Gordon has been a member of the firm since 1987.
He concentrates his practice in school law and municipal law. He is a past President of the New Hampshire Council of School Attorneys and is a member of the Municipal Law Section of the New Hampshire Bar Association; New Hampshire Municipal Lawyers Association; New Hampshire Council of School Attorneys; and the New Hampshire and American Bar Associations. He was a member of the Derry Town Council from 1995-2001 and was its Chairman in 1997.
Gordon has taken an active role in many community organizations, including the Derry Conservation Commission, the Derry Development and Preservation Corp., the Derry Main Street committee, and he served as a trustee for the Alexander Eastman Foundation. He is currently a member the Derry 21st Century Learning Community Corporation and the Derry Village Rotary. He devotes his legal practice to advising town and school district clients on their complex legal needs, including the Right-To-Know Law, municipal budget law issues, annual meeting procedures and warrant article drafting, election law, management and use of capital reserves and trust funds, public policy and ordinance development, special education law, student discipline practices and procedures, bullying and harassment issues, administrative procedures and hearings, road law, and recreation, land and conservation issues. He also has extensive experience with public works contracts and municipal lease/purchase agreements.
He frequently represents public sector clients during construction contract negotiation, and has represented public sector clients in construction litigation, and arbitration. Gordon frequently advises clients on school tuition contracts, student assignment issues, manifest educational hardship cases, AREA and Cooperative school district issues, and SAU organization and reorganization. He has also represented municipalities during labor negotiations and has successfully negotiated many collective bargaining agreements.
Gordon has attended well over a hundred school district and town meetings for the firm’s clients and he has appeared successfully on behalf of public sector clients in the New Hampshire District Court, the New Hampshire Superior Court, the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the New Hampshire Federal District Court, the New Hampshire Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the PELRB and the Water Resources Board. Gordon is also a frequent presenter at municipal conferences and often provides in service training programs for the firm’s clients.
In 2019, the New Hampshire Association of School Business Officials selected Gordon as recipient of the Alexander J. Blastos Distinguished Service Award for his long record of guidance and support to the New Hampshire school business community.
Office:
220 Main St.
Salem, NH 03079
Tel: 603-898-9776
Fax: 603-898-3418
graham@soulefirm.com