Practice:

• Co-Chairman, Corporate
• Co-Chairman, Finance
• Nonprofit Law & Governance
• Schools & Colleges

Bar Admissions:

Massachusetts

Experience:

Mr. Spector is Chairman of the Firm's Business Law Department. Since joining Burns & Levinson in 1971, Mr. Spector has maintained an active practice in the general representation of banks, closely-held business enterprises and not-for-profit charitable entities.

Mr. Spector has more than 35 years of experience in representing lenders and borrowers in the structuring, negotiation, and documentation of commercial transactions, as well as loan workouts and restructurings, primarily in the so-called middle market. He has been a frequent lecturer to banking professionals and businesses on the subject of commercial lending. With his experience in representing not-for-profit entities, as well as serving in senior leadership capacities on not for profit Boards, Mr. Spector has developed a unique expertise in lending activities to not-for-profit entities. He is listed in the Red Book of Municipal Bond Counsel and has had more than 25 years of experience in tax exempt bond issues including serving as bond counsel, borrower’s counsel, bank counsel for credit enhanced issues and underwriter’s counsel.

In representing privately held business enterprise, he usually functions in the role of their outside general counsel, providing advice in the entire range of the legal needs of the business and arranging for the proper combination of attorneys to handle areas of specialization. In particular, he advises clients in the handling of mergers, acquisitions and sales, contractual relationships, financing needs, personnel issues, problems of management and ownership succession and governance, and renders general advice in the context of the needs of small to medium-sized businesses both for profit and not-for-profit.

Mr. Spector's practice in the non-profit section includes, in particular, representing hospitals, other healthcare providers and educational organizations. He represented the New England Sinai Hospital in the 1985 landmark right-to-die case of Paul Brophy. In the healthcare field, Mr. Spector has spoken to numerous groups on issues of governance, patients’ rights and the Massachusetts Healthcare Proxy Law.

Memberships:

• American Health Lawyers Association
• American Bar Association, Business and Health Law sections
• Boston Bar Association, Business and Health Law sections
• Massachusetts Bar Association, Business and Health Law sections
• Northeast Health Systems, Beverly, Massachusetts; Trustee, Executive Committee
• Turnaround Management Association
• Phi Beta Kappa

Additional Information:

• Mr. Spector served as Chairman of the Board of The New England College of Optometry in Boston from 1999-2004 and since 2004 has continued to serve as a member of its Executive Committee and Chair of its Governance Committee.
• From 1993-1999, Mr. Spector served as Chairman of the Board of New England Sinai Hospital and Rehabilitation Center in Stoughton, Massachusetts.
• He served for more than 12 years as Vice Chairman of the Beverly (Massachusetts) Board of Health, and nearly 20 years as Co-Chairman of the Beverly Regional Health Fair.

Education:

• J.D., cum laude, Harvard Law School, 1971
• B.A., magna cum laude, Case Western Reserve University, 1967

Awards:

• Mr. Spector was honored by New England Sinai Hospital & Rehabilitation Center for his many years of contribution and service to the Hospital, including his 6 years as Chairman of the Board. Norm was the honoree at their annual gala event, Stepping Out With Sinai, on Saturday, May 6, 2006.
• Massachusetts Super Lawyer in 2004. The selection of attorneys is based on a poll and internal research done by Law & Politics Magazine and reviewed by an independent blue ribbon panel of their peers. Listed attorneys and finalists consist of the top 5% of attorneys in Massachusetts. The listing appeared in the November issue of Boston Magazine and in New England Super Lawyers Magazine.

Speaking Engagements: