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 progressive and alternative project delivery (APD) civil and social infrastructure projects across the country. John co-leads the firm's P3/Infrastructure Group.
Chambers Global describes John as "a great problem-solver [with] good deal intuition." He has played a leading role in the procurement, negotiation, financing, and administration of several P3 and other APD projects in the transportation, transit, energy, and social infrastructure spaces. John has represented public clients in several states, as well as developers and lenders in several horizontal and vertical infrastructure projects 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.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Indiana Department of Transportation – progressive Design-Build, CM/GC counsel for the program, developing template procurement and transaction documents, as well as NEVI implementation counsel
- Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Owner's counsel to the startup renewable energy developer, financing party in connection with suite of commercial installations
- Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Sponsor's counsel to social infrastructure developer consortium in procured pre-development P3 for urban transit and transit-adjacent/TOD project
- Private Sector Infrastructure Developer – Developer's counsel to social infrastructure developer in bond-financed sportspex
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation – co-lead P3 counsel for the Major Bridges P3 PDA/DBFM project
Professional Highlights
Pro Bono Experience
Professional Activities
Maryland State Bar Association
Recognition & Accomplishments
Chambers Global, "Up and Coming," Projects: PPP, 2022, 2023; Band 4, 2024
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
Select Recent Speaking Engagements
"Building Strong P3 Collaborations," Mac & Bleu Podcast, November 13, 2023
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