OUR Attorneys
MARK L. SISTI
Mark L. Sisti was born in Buffalo, NY and raised primarily in Buffalo and Baltimore, MD. Mark obtained his B.A. from Canisius College in 1976 and his J.D. from UNH Law in 1979. Mark is also a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been named to the NH Best Lawyers for the past ten (10) years in the areas of white-collar criminal defense and non-white collar criminal defense.
Mark has tirelessly defended the rights of citizens and non-citizens when faced with their most difficult problems for forty (40) years. Mark has focused on defending those accused of State and Federal crimes since 1979. After graduation from UNH Law, he worked for the NH Public Defender, where he eventually was named to the Homicide Defense Project in 1982. He was the Deputy Director of the NH Public Defender from 1985 through 1988.
In 1988, Mark began his private practice as a founding partner with Twomey & Sisti Law Offices; which has evolved into Sisti Law Offices. It is a statewide practice that dedicates itself to State and Federal Criminal Defense.
Mark has been involved in thousands of jury trials and bench trials, and represented individuals in every county in New Hampshire at every level, including over 100 individuals charged with homicide and more than his share of high-profile cases since his career began in 1979. He also appears in the NH Supreme Court regularly. Mark is a member of both the New Hampshire and Vermont State Bars. He is also admitted in the Federal District Court of New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals.
Education
UNIVERSITY
B.A. - Canisius College - Buffalo, NY - 1976
J.D. - University of NH - Concord, NH - 1979 (formerly Franklin Pierce Law Center
Activities & Affiliations
Has appeared for clients in New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Wisconsin, Florida, California, Washington DC, Maryland, Colorado, Ontario and Quebec
NH Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Vermont Bar Association
VT Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
American Bar Association
American College of Trial Lawyers
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Best Lawyers of America - Criminal Defense
Super Lawyers of New England - Criminal Defense
NH Magazine-Best Lawyers - Criminal Defense
2004 Champion of Justice - NHACDL
Bar Admissions
NH Bar Association - 1979
US District Court-NH - 1979
1st Circuit District Court-NH - 1980
Vermont Bar Association - 2004
US District Court-VT - 2004
ALAN J. CRONHEIM
Alan J. Cronheim has been a member of the New Hampshire Bar since 1975. He came to New Hampshire after graduating from the Cornell Law School and after being awarded a Reginald Heber Smith Community Lawyer Fellowship to work at New Hampshire Legal Assistance. While at Legal Assistance, he was a staff attorney and managing attorney of the Portsmouth office. He was also litigation director for the statewide program, supervising and assisting with major litigation in New Hampshire's Federal and State Courts.
Alan joined the New Hampshire Public Defender Program in 1981. As a Public Defender, he handled all varieties of criminal cases, including misdemeanors, felonies and homicides in the District and Superior Courts.
In 1989, Alan opened the Portsmouth office of Sisti Law Offices. He continues to focus on criminal defense issues ranging from motor vehicle and misdemeanor offenses, felonies and murder. He successfully argued in the New Hampshire Supreme Court that New Hampshire's then existing death penalty statue was unconstitutional.
Alan has been named to the list of New Hampshire's Best Lawyers for criminal defense by Woodward- White for the last seventeen years. In 2015, he was selected as “Lawyer of the Year” in the area of criminal defense. He has been recognized as a “Champion of Justice” by the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and served as President of NHACDL. Alan has received the Bill of Rights Award from the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union for his work protecting voting rights in New Hampshire and has been recognized for his work on behalf of the developmentally disabled by NH-ABLE.
Alan has been an instructor for continuing legal education programs administered by the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New Hampshire Bar Association and the Office of the Attorney General. He served sixteen years on the New Hampshire Supreme Court Professional Conduct Committee. He is a member of the New Hampshire and New York Bars and is a member of the New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New Hampshire Bar Association and The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Education
UNIVERSITY
B.A. University of Rochester, with honors - 1972
J.D. Cornell Law School - 1975
Activities & Affiliations
NH Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Best Lawyers of America - Criminal Defense
NHACDL - Champion of Justice
Served as President and Board Member of NHACDL
NH Civil Liberties Union - Billof Rights Award
2015 Lawyer of the Year - NH Best Lawyers
NH Supreme Court Professional Conduct Committee (1998-2014)
Bar Admissions
New Hampshire -1975
New York - 1976
COLIN SANDIFORD
Colin Sandiford has been with the firm since March of 2015. He graduated from Mississippi State University in 2001 with a degree in Political Science. After moving to Norwich, Vermont in 2009, he attended Vermont Law School where he participated in the school’s first Criminal Law Clinic. After graduating from Vermont Law School in 2013, Colin and his family moved to the Concord area where he volunteered with the Disability Rights Center. He has also served as a member of the NH Bar Association’s “New Lawyers” Committee where he assisted with the Committee’s community service project in spring of 2018.
Education
UNIVERSITY
B.A. - Mississippi State University - 2001
J.D. - Vermont Law School - 2013
Activities & Affiliations
Disability Rights Center
NHBA “New Lawyers” Committee
Bar Admissions
NH Bar Association - 2014
Amy Ashworth
Amy Ashworth is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire. She grew up in the Plymouth area. She received her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in 1997 and her J.D. from UNH Law in 2001. Amy was a Public Defender for 20 years. As a Public Defender, Amy handled cases ranging from Juvenile Delinquency cases, DWI’s and other motor vehicle offenses, misdemeanors, felonies, Sexual Assault and Homicide cases. While at NH Public Defender, Amy mentored and trained many new lawyers and interns. Amy has also conducted statewide training on Ethics issues. Additionally, Amy was on the Hiring Committee and participated in hiring new attorneys. For the last two and a half years at NH Public Defender, Amy was the Managing Attorney of the Belknap/Carroll County Public Defender Office.
Education
UNIVERSITY
B.A. - University of New Hampshire 1997
J.D. – University of New Hampshire (formerly known as Franklin Pierce Law Center) 2001
Activities & Affiliations
NH Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Bar Admissions
NH Bar Association 2002