Professionals > John W. Espenshade

 

 

 

 

 

John W. Espenshade
Phone: 610.478.2103
jwe@mcculloughconsultinggroup.com

John focuses his practice on state and local government, municipal law and government affairs. He represents government units and municipal authorities, including housing, redevelopment, convention center, solid waste, stadium, hospital, health care and transit projects, as well as school districts and colleges in financing public projects along with private company transactions qualifying for tax-favored or other governmental financing. John is a member of the Stevens & Lee team which successfully represents clients in connection with securing and implementing state-sponsored financial assistance programs. He represents private-sector clients nationally in connection with complex emergency management, procurement, bidding, contracting and security services.

Throughout his career, John has represented Pennsylvania municipalities in legal, management, operations, personnel, budgeting, capital projects and taxation matters.

He has served and/or presently serves as counsel for governmental entities:

  • Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development: Counsel in connection with the City of Harrisburg’s (Dauphin County, PA) Municipalities Financial Recovery Act (Act 47) Recovery Plan (2011) and the City of Reading’s (Berks County, PA) Act 47 Recovery Plan (2010)
  • Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority in the successful development of Clipper Magazine Stadium
  • Lancaster County Convention Center Authority in the successful 10-year development of the $170 million Lancaster Hotel and Convention Center which opened in 2009 as a Public-Private Partnership (P3)
  • Lancaster County Redevelopment Authority and Housing Authority for over 20 years through present
  • The County of Lancaster as solicitor for 17 years
  • Solicitor for numerous Pennsylvania school districts for over 20 years

In addition, John has served as special counsel appointed by a city to represent the city in its take-back of the water and sewer infrastructure and systems from municipal authorities. The take-back was successfully completed and was one of the largest municipal infrastructure take-backs in Pennsylvania history.

Other representative engagements include:

  • As special counsel, he represented an authority in successfully defending the takeover by a local government of its water/sewer system
  • Represented a county in the successful negotiated sale and privatization of municipal assets including a county nursing home
  • As special counsel, successfully represented a county in the largest economic development project in that county’s history

    John has extensive experience in applying for, contracting and implementing federal and state loans and grants for municipalities and authorities, including RCAP, PENNVEST, IFIP, PA H2O, RUS and ARRA/Stimulus, among others

He received a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School, an M.P.A. from The Pennsylvania State University and a B.A. from Elizabethtown College. He has also studied at the London Centre for Legal Studies and Marburg Universität in Marburg, Germany. He also represents German businesses in the United States in commercial and contracting matters and American clients in various European nations.

John serves on the Board of Trustees of Elizabethtown College and is a member of the Pennsylvania Bond Lawyers Association, the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the Pennsylvania School Boards Solicitors Association and his local, state and national bar associations. He also is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Section on Municipal Law.