Mintz Levin's Spector Picked to Head ABA's Tax-Exempt Financing Panel

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Jeremy A. Spector, a partner at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo PC, has been tapped to become the new chairman of the American Bar Association's tax-exempt financing committee on July 1, the law firm announced yesterday.

He will serve two years in the post, replacing Michael Bailey, a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago. Spector currently is vice chairman of the committee.

John O. Swendseid, a member of Sherman & Howard in Reno, Nev., will take over as vice chairman for the next two years.

In a brief interview yesterday, Spector said that given the recent outpouring of guidance from the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service, he is looking forward to discussing these matters with federal officials, as well as overseeing the development of committee comments on the guidance.

"The committee meetings ... have long been a forum for Treasury, IRS, and other government officials to provide invaluable insight and guidance regarding new legislation, regulations, and other forms of guidance which have dramatically increased in the last few months," he said. "After many years of little guidance, we now are experiencing and are grateful for a significant flow of guidance, which I believe the ABA is well suited to actively comment on."

Spector added that he hopes to reach out to younger ABA members for greater involvement.

The announced changes in leadership come as the committee prepares for its spring meeting, which is to be held here on May 9 and 10. The agenda includes a discussion with federal officials about tax-credit bonds, which Bailey says Spector was instrumental in putting together.

"He took the lead in conceiving and organizing the special program on tax-credit bonds," Bailey said. "It has been an honor and pleasure working with him over the past few years. I expect that he will be a great chair of the committee in light of his level of commitment, creativity and organizational skills."

Spector specializes in public finance tax law at Mintz Levin, leading their tax-exempt bond controversy resolution practice. He is also a fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel and the American College of Bond Counsel.

He holds a master of law degree in taxation from New York University School of Law, a law degree from the University of Miami, and a master of business administration, specializing in accounting and finance, from NYU's Graduate School of Business Administration. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in politics, cum laude with honors, from Brandeis University. He is also a certified public accountant.

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