Richard E. Samdperil

Richard E. Samdperil is a partner at Samdperil & Welsh, PLLC in Exeter, New Hampshire, with more than 30 years of legal experience. His practice centers on criminal defense, DUI matters, appeals, and selected civil and personal injury cases. His trial work includes serious felony and circuit-court matters, while his appellate practice includes extensive work before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. He has also represented businesses, business owners, and government entities in civil disputes requiring careful legal analysis and courtroom advocacy.

Richard earned his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and his B.A. from Lake Forest College. His education provided a foundation in legal research, writing, criminal law, procedure, and advocacy that he later developed through public-defense and appellate work. This background supports a practice requiring close analysis of constitutional questions, evidence, trial records, and procedural issues. His legal training and decades of practice help him evaluate matters from the initial trial strategy through issues that can later become important on appeal.

Samdperil spent 11 years with the New Hampshire Public Defender program before entering private practice in 2006. He served as a trial attorney, managed the Manchester office, and worked with the Appellate Defender Program. He has tried close to 200 cases before judges or juries and has briefed or argued more than 60 cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court. That combination of trial and appellate work gives him substantial experience with evidentiary disputes, motions, constitutional issues, jury advocacy, and review of trial-court decisions.

Richard E. Samdperil combines criminal-trial work, appellate practice, teaching, and professional leadership. He serves as adjunct faculty at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law and teaches lawyers and law students on criminal law, procedure, evidence, ethics, and trial advocacy. He also serves as vice-chair of the New Hampshire Judicial Council. His practice draws on decades of public-defense, private-practice, appellate, and legal-education experience to represent clients facing serious charges, appeals, and selected civil disputes.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Samdperil & Welsh, PLLC
• Member, New Hampshire Bar Association
• Past Member, Ethics and Professionalism Committees, New Hampshire Bar Association
• Co-Chair, New Hampshire Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section (2013-2016)
• Vice Chair and Temporary Executive Director December, New Hampshire Judicial Council (2022)
• Past President, Rockingham County Bar Association
• Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Member, New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Past Chair and Member, Board of Directors, Seacoast Science Center
• Member, National College for DUI Defense

Licensed State

• New Hampshire

Education

• Northeastern University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• Lake Forest College
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges