John P. Smolen

Partner

Baltimore

Tel 410.528.5582
Fax 410.528.5650

John P. Smolen counsels public entities, private developers, concessionaires, and financing parties in large, complex alternative project delivery (APD) projects (e.g., design-build/progressive design-build, CM/GC, "progressive" delivery methods, EPC, and public-private partnership (P3/PPP)), in civil, energy, and social infrastructure projects across the country. John co-leads the Ballard Spahr Infrastructure Group and Ballard Spahr's Transportations & Logistics initiatives.

Chambers Global describes John as "a great problem-solver [with] good deal intuition." He has played a leading role in several APD programs and projects in the transportation, transit, energy/renewables, port/airport, and social infrastructure spaces. John has represented public clients in several states, as well as developers/concessionaires/investors, and lenders in several horizontal and vertical infrastructure projects in matters ranging from statutory drafting, through program and template development, pre-procurement, deal structuring, procurement, and negotiation, to post-selection commercial and financial close, with additional experience in implementation, administration, and dispute avoidance/resolution.

John is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served as a naval aviator.

Services

Representative Experience

Representative Matters

Indiana Department of Transportation/Indiana Finance Authority – progressive design-build (PDB), CM/GC, design-build (best value) counsel for the program, continuing programmatic support (template procurement and transaction documents) during implementation, including the East End Crossing (Lewis and Clark Bridge) P3, Safer Drive 65, and the North Split design-build projects, and each of the pilot progressive projects born of the program
City of Annapolis Dock Project – sponsor's counsel to bidder consortium on the City's parking garage project and financing; city's counsel on the City Dock civil infrastructure resiliency progressive design-build
Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Owner's counsel to a renewable energy developer, financing party in connection with suite of commercial installations

Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Developer's counsel to social infrastructure developer in bond-financed sportsplex
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – co-lead P3 counsel for the Major Bridges P3 PDA/DBFM project, the 2024 P3 Awards "Best Road, Bridge, or Tunnel Project" winner
Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development – programmatic progressive design-build counsel on State's first PDB deliveries
University of Idaho – P3 counsel on the campus master developer P3 project
University of Florida – co-lead P3 counsel on the central energy plant design-build-finance-operate-maintain project
Western Kentucky University – co-lead P3 counsel on the university's programmatic student housing refresh
New Jersey Transit – Microgrid project – counsel to the advisory team in connection with a traction power resiliency project
Georgia Department of Transportation – lead P3 counsel on the East and co-P3 counsel on the West Interchange design-build-finance projects, lead counsel on design-build procurement and transaction document suite refresh and implementation
Virginia Department of Transportation – design-build and P3 counsel/co-counsel on transactions, including the Capital Beltway NEXT Project and the U.S. Route 121 (f/k/a Coalfields Expressway), Poplar Creek Phase A, U.S. 460 Connector Phase II comprehensive agreement, design-build contract program
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
Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Sponsor's counsel to social infrastructure developers in procured pre-development P3 for urban transit and transit-adjacent/TOD projects
Maryland Transit Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation –primary legal team, advising on procurement, contract, financing, and contract administration matters to Maryland's first transit P3 project, the Purple Line Light Rail availability payment P3 transit project, at financing the largest P3 transit availability payment project in the U.S.
Alchemy District – Owner's counsel in entertainment district development and financing in Northern California
City and Port of Nome, Alaska – Owner's counsel in connection with landslide development of port expansion
Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Counsel to lenders, developer in phased parking and environmental resiliency project in historic city center
Private Sector Social Infrastructure Developer – Developer’s counsel and P3 counsel to social infrastructure projects on both coasts
Private Sector Lenders’ Counsel – Lenders’ counsel in P3 procurements in the social infrastructure, horizontal infrastructure, and university energy spaces spanning the country
Private Sector Heavy Industry Client – Coal Processing Facility – Lead counsel to a private sector client in development of an EPC project to design and build a commercial scale coal processing facility
Private Sector Renewable Energy Project Developer – Renewable Energy Projects. Counsel to an early-stage development client in renewable energy power producing facilities in the mountain states and Hawaii
Private Sector Wind Energy Project Owner – Renewable Energy Projects. Counsel on a portfolio of joint project development efforts for renewable energy projects throughout the Midwest, representing the owner in project development and construction matters
P3 counsel to several universities in energy development and monetization, student housing, and mixed-use developments

Professional Highlights

Pro Bono Experience

As part of his pro bono practice, John has represented a non-profit transitional program on real estate, finance, and corporate matters, military veterans before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on issues relating to benefits, persons in asylum proceedings, and homeless/at-risk clients in criminal record expungement proceedings.

Recognition & Accomplishments

Chambers Global, "Up and Coming," Projects: PPP, 2022, 2023; Band 4, 2024, 2025

Chambers USA, Projects: PPP (nationwide) "Up and Coming," 2021, 2022; Band 4, 2023, 2024; Band 3, 2025

Legal 500, Finance - Project Finance, "Leading Partners", 2025; listed 2022-2024; Industry Focus - Energy: Renewable/Alternative, 2023-2025

Select Recent Speaking Engagements

Panelist, "Hot Topics: Project Funding and Financing Strategies for Project Owners," American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law, October 2025

Panelist, "Managing Legal, Regulatory, and Commercial Risks," InfraUS Conference on Financing P3s in Infrastructure, May 2025

Panelist, "P3 Bulletin/GIIA Roundtable: Energy P3s," The P3 Conference, April 2025

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

Colorado

Kansas

Indiana

District of Columbia

U.S. Supreme Court