John P. Smolen counsels public entities, private concessionaires/contractors, and financing parties in large, complex design-build, public-private partnership (P3/PPP), CM/GC, and other alternative project delivery (APD) civil and social infrastructure projects across the country. John co-leads the firm's P3/Infrastructure Group.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Indiana Department of Transportation – progressive Design-Build, CM/GC counsel for the program, developing template procurement and transaction documents
- Nebraska Department of Transportation – CM/GC and design-build counsel for client program developing template CM/GC procurement and transaction documents, and co-lead counsel for initial design-build project
- City of Nome, Alaska (Port of Nome) – lead P3 project counsel of landside and seaside development of Arctic Deep Draft Port
- Counsel to the startup renewable energy developer, financing party in connection with suite of commercial installations
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – co-lead P3 counsel to the for the Major Bridges P3 PDA/DBFM project
- New Jersey Transit – Microgrid project – counsel to the advisory team in connection with a traction power resiliency project
Professional Highlights
Pro Bono Experience
Professional Activities
Maryland State Bar Association
Recognition & Accomplishments
Chambers Global, "Up and Coming," Projects: PPP, 2022, 2023
Chambers USA, Projects: PPP (nationwide) "Up and Coming," 2021, 2022; Band 4, 2023
Legal 500, Finance - Project Finance, 2022, 2023; Industry Focus - Energy: Renewable/Alternative, 2023
Recent Speaking Engagements
Panelist, Innovations in Infrastructure, Drexel University and Bond Dealers of America, December 8, 2022
Panelist/Moderator: P3 and Green Highways: Environmental Policy and Energy Issues that Attend the Transition to EV/AV, Ballard Spahr 10th Annual Green Infrastructure Conference, October 2022
Panelist/Moderator: EVs/AVs – What to Do to Get Ready and Make it Happen, the P3 Conference, March 2022
Panelist/Moderator, Reprise: Contractors in P3 Transactions, Climate Resiliency P3’s, the P3 Government Conference, December 2021
Panelist/Moderator, Contractors in P3 Transactions, the P3 Conference, September 2021
Related Insights
Credentials
Education
University of Kansas School of Law (J.D.)
Editor-in-Chief, Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (M.A.)
U.S. Naval Academy (B.S., with merit)
Admissions
Maryland
District of Columbia
Kansas
U.S. Supreme Court