Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, is designating "Lawyers of the Year" in high-profile legal specialties in large legal communities. Only a single lawyer in each specialty in each community is being honored as the "Lawyer of the Year." The lawyers being honored as "Lawyers of the Year" have received particularly high ratings in our surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.
Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers, says, "We continue to believe — as we have believed for more than 25 years — that recognition by one's peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the legal profession. We would like to congratulate Alan Cleveland, Chris Cole and Bruce Harwood on being selected as Best Lawyers ‘Manchester Lawyer of the Year' for 2012."
Since joining Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green more than 30 years ago, Alan P. Cleveland has developed a strong client base in the area of ERISA, public and private pension plans. He is the current Chair of the firm's Retirement Plans and ERISA Practice Group. Cleveland's reputation in the field has led to his regularly being asked to provide expert testimony to Federal and State professional organizations on a wide range of pension and corporate related topics. He is legal counsel to public, private and tax-exempt pension funds for tax, ERISA, investment and fiduciary matters. Cleveland is the past President of the National Association of Public Pension Attorneys and also of the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, and a Fellow of the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. He has repeatedly been recognized in in in Chambers USA for his work in employee benefits & compensation. He is listed in New England Super Lawyers and has been named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of Employee Benefits Law each year since 1983.
Chris Cole, Chair of Sheehan Phinney's Business Litigation Practice Group, has successfully handled cases involving trade secrets, non-competition and non-disclosure covenants in connection with software and software applications, as well as cases involving the alleged misuse of company proprietary information and predatory employee hiring; trademark and trade dress infringement in connection with consumer product names and packaging, and the look and feel of graphical user interfaces; and numerous other business, employee and employment related disputes. Cole has also successfully litigated professional practice and professional corporation disputes, shareholder disagreements and partnership and corporate dissolutions. He frequently writes and speaks on the protection of intellectual property and the enforcement of employee non-competition and confidentiality agreements. Cole has been named a New England Super Lawyer in the area of business litigation and is listed in Chambers USA in the area of commercial litigation. He has repeatedly been named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation. Cole is a 2007 graduate of Leadership New Hampshire and a member of its Board of Trustees. He has represented clients in litigation in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Illinois, Texas and California. He has practiced with Sheehan Phinney since 1991.
Bruce A. Harwood is Chair of the firm's Bankruptcy and Insolvency Practice Group and has practiced almost exclusively in the areas of bankruptcy and insolvency since 1981. He restructures debt and reorganizes businesses inside and outside of formal bankruptcy proceedings. In bankruptcy cases, Harwood represents business debtors (both individuals and entities); purchasers of assets in transactions with debtors; secured and unsecured creditors; official creditors' committees; and trustees in bankruptcy (as both general and special counsel). He has provided counsel to the State of New Hampshire in insolvency cases affecting the State's regulatory interests. He also mediates disputes arising in connection with debtor-creditor relations. Harwood is a member and on the Board of Directors of the American Bankruptcy Institute. He has been recognized as one of the top bankruptcy attorneys in the state and nationally. Harwood is a Fellow in the American College of Bankruptcy and is listed in Chambers USA guide with a "Band 1" ranking. He has been named as one of the Best Lawyers in America for over fifteen years and has been named a New England Super Lawyer since 2007.
About the Firm
Sheehan Phinney is a full service business law firm representing local, national and international clients with innovative approaches and practical solutions. Founded in 1937, Sheehan Phinney has grown to 63 attorneys with four offices throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts and is known for professional excellence, practical counsel and commitment to both its clients and the communities it serves. Sheehan Phinney is the exclusive member in New Hampshire of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of premier independent law firms. 
