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Practice Focus and Experience
Howard Speicher practices in the Land Use and Real Estate Group and the Litigation Group. He conducts an extensive land use, permitting, and litigation practice, representing landowners and developers before municipal and state agencies and at all levels of the state court system. Howard’s active practice also includes commercial leasing and real estate transactional work; in addition, he litigates general business disputes and construction claims.

Howard’s nearly three decades of land use and litigation experience began with five years as a Boston Assistant Corporation Counsel and as counsel to its Zoning Board of Appeal and Inspectional Services Department. More recently, he served as Chair of the Boston Bar Association’s Zoning and Land Use Committee. In that position he headed a number of important land use seminars, including the prestigious Land Court Judicial Forum.

Howard recently served as a member of the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development’s Advisory Group participating in preparing regulations under the new Massachusetts “Smart Growth” zoning statute, chapter 40R of the Massachusetts General Laws. He also recently completed a three-year term on the Board of Editors of the Boston Bar Journal and has held an appointment as Lecturer at Boston University School of Law.

Representative Matters
  • Won appeals of the denials of permits for a forty-four lot residential subdivision.
  • Won appeals of the denials of permits for two “superstores” for a national retailer.
  • Represents leading telecommunications company in its nationwide leasing and regional zoning and development matters.
  • Successfully resolved title claims threatening access rights to a forty-five lot subdivision.
  • Obtained permits for a combined independent senior housing and residential subdivision development.
Representative Reported Cases
Professional
  • Distinctions: Peer review "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest bestowed rating; Massachusetts Super Lawyer, 2004, 2005.
  • Admitted: Massachusetts; New York; United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts.
  • Member: Boston Bar Association, past chairman (1996-1998) Zoning and Land Use Committee; Board of Editors, Boston Bar Journal (2002-2004); National Association of Industrial and Office Properties; Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts.
Community Involvement
  • Clerk and member of the executive committee and the board of directors of the South Boston Neighborhood House, a century-old settlement house providing educational and other community services to the South Boston community.
  • Member of the board of directors of the Boston Synagogue.
  • Former vice president and member of the board of directors of Hill House, the community center for Beacon Hill and surrounding neighborhoods.
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Howard P. Speicher
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direct 617.589.3829
fax 617.305.3129
hspeicher@davismalm.com
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Practice Areas
Education
  • J.D., Boston University School of Law, 1979.
  • B.A., State University of New York at Binghamton, 1976.