NH Bar Foundation honors Robert Sullivan, former Portsmouth city attorney

The New Hampshire Bar Foundation announced former Portsmouth City Attorney Robert P. Sullivan is the recipient of this year’s Frank Rowe Kenison Award, presented at its annual dinner Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Manchester Country Club.

The Kenison Award was established by the Bar Foundation to recognize an individual (or individuals) who makes substantial contributions to the betterment of New Hampshire citizens through the administration of justice, the legal profession, or the advancement of legal thought.

Sullivan served as Portsmouth's city attorney for 40 years, beginning in 1982. He provided legal advice and representation to the entire city government, its officials, and its employees. He was also the primary legal adviser to five different full-time city managers over that period, as well as two interim city managers. Since retiring from full-time employment two years ago, Sullivan has remained with the city in a part-time role. Prior to his tenure with Portsmouth, he worked for the city of Nashua.

Sullivan’s work in Nashua and Portsmouth included the representation of all municipal boards and commissions, notably in land use regulation. This included substantial litigation at the Superior Court level as well as many cases before the New Hampshire Supreme Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Many of these cases affected the development of land use law in the state.

“On behalf of the City, I congratulate Bob Sullivan on receiving the distinguished Frank Rowe Keniston Award from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation as there is nothing more rewarding than being recognized by one’s peers,” said Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard. “Even after the five years I’ve had the honor of working with Bob, I continue to be impressed by both his institutional knowledge of our city, the state and its courts and by the counsel I’ve received from his keen perceptions of human behavior. Bob is everything one would want a city attorney to be. I’m delighted the New Hampshire Bar Foundation recognizes that, too.”

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: NH Bar Foundation honors Robert Sullivan, former Portsmouth city attorney