John P. Smolen counsels public entities, private concessionaires/contractors, and financing parties in large, complex design-build and public-private partnership (P3/PPP) civil and social infrastructure projects across the country.
John has played a leading role in the procurement, negotiation, financing, and administration of several P3 and design-build projects in the transportation, transit, social infrastructure, and maritime/riverine port spaces. John has represented public clients in Maryland, Virginia, Missouri, Indiana, Nebraska, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Alaska, among others. John has represented lenders, as well as developer consortia, in several horizontal and vertical infrastructure projects from statutory drafting, through pre-procurement, deal structuring, procurement, and negotiation, to post-selection commercial and financial close, with additional experience in implementation and administration.
Experience
Representative Matters
- PortKC (Port Authority of Kansas City, Missouri) – lead P3 project counsel for the Missouri River Terminal (MRT) riverine port P3 project
- City of Nome, Alaska (Port of Nome) – lead P3 project counsel of landside and seaside development of Arctic Deep Draft Port
- Georgia Department of Transportation – co-P3 counsel on the East Interchange design-build-finance project and design-build program
Professional Highlights
Pro Bono Experience
Professional Activities
Maryland State Bar Association
Kansas Bar Association
Speaking Engagements
Panelist, P3 legislative best practices (AIAI), AGC/ACEC – Idaho, December 2020.
Panelist, Moderator, P3 procurement, P3 public policy panels, P3 Government Conference, December 2020
Panelist, "Why Do a P3? Building the Business Case for a P3," P3 Higher Education Conference, October 2020
Publications
Co-author, "East End Crossing Project – Availability Payment P3 in Action," World Highways, June 2017
Related Insights
Credentials
Education
University of Kansas School of Law (J.D. 2007)
Editor-in-Chief, Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (M.A. 2004)
U.S. Naval Academy (B.S., 1995, with merit)
Admissions
Maryland
District of Columbia
Kansas
U.S. Supreme Court