Roy W. Tilsley, Jr.

Roy is a shareholder at Bernstein Shur with more than 30 years of experience representing property owners and real estate entrepreneurs in disputes and development matters. His real estate litigation practice covers commercial and residential property, including boundary line and easement disputes, tax abatements, zoning and permitting conflicts, and contested development projects. He works with owners seeking to develop land or resolve disagreements with abutters, municipalities and other parties.

Land use issues are a significant part of Roy’s work. He advises on zoning and land use regulations and represents clients before municipal boards and state regulatory agencies, as well as in court and on appeal. His experience also extends to real estate transactions, including acquisition, financing, leasing and development, with a focus on commercial property. He counsels clients on business transactions and offers mediation services for real estate disputes.

Alongside his real estate practice, Roy handles probate litigation, particularly disputes involving fiduciary duties. He frequently represents beneficiaries in contested will and trust matters, including claims concerning trust mismanagement, and has appeared before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Probate Divisions and Complex Trust Docket. In Hodges v. Johnson, he represented the plaintiffs in a widely cited New Hampshire Supreme Court decision concerning trust decanting. The court ruled that trustees had unlawfully breached their duties to the trust’s beneficiaries.

• Seminal Victory in New Hampshire Trust Decanting Case

  Successfully represented the plaintiffs in Hodges v. Johnson, the leading New Hampshire Supreme Court decision on trust decanting, in which the Court held that trustees had unlawfully breached their duties to the trust’s beneficiaries.

• $3.2M Judgment in Trust Decanting Trial

  Secured a $3,225,000 judgment on behalf of beneficiaries in a trust decanting case against a former trustee following a three-day trial.

• $600K Arbitration Award in Construction Dispute

  Obtained a $600,000 arbitration award for a client in a breach of contract matter involving the construction of a lakefront residential property.

• Defense Verdict in Boundary and Right-of-Way Dispute

  Achieved a trial court verdict dismissing all claims in a boundary line and right-of-way case, successfully restoring the client’s property rights.

• Land Use Approvals for 76-Unit Apartment Project

  Obtained planning board and zoning board approvals from the City of Manchester for the development of a 76-unit residential building in the downtown district.

• JD, Cornell Law School, cum laude, 1992
• BA, Tufts University, cum laude, 1985

• Chambers USA 2025 – Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use
• The Best Lawyers in America® “Lawyer of the Year” – Land Use and Zoning (2027)
• The Best Lawyers in America® 2027 (Ranked since 2013)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Environmental Law
  • Land Use and Zoning Law
  • Litigation - Land Use and Zoning
  • Litigation - Real Estate
• AV Preeminent® – Martindale-Hubbell
• AV Preeminent® Judicial Edition – Martindale-Hubbell

See Science Center

• Chair, Board of Directors

Families in Transition

• Former Chair, Board of Directors

State of New Hampshire Transportation Appeals

• Former Board Member