John E. Ponder is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office.
Areas of Practice
Mr. Ponder specializes in the representation of clients involved in real estate development. His practice focuses on advising and representing major residential, industrial, commercial, Native American Indian tribes, and renewable energy developers through all phases of the land use regulatory process and environmental compliance. His land use experience includes real estate due diligence investigations, negotiating and drafting development agreements, processing land use entitlements, advising tribal governments on environmental and natural resources law, and appearing before governmental agencies and commissions.
Real Estate Development
Real estate development has grown increasingly complex and controversial requiring knowledge of applicable federal, state and local laws, as well as the ability to work with a wide range of diverse interests including governmental agency staff, elected officials, landowners, environmental organizations and citizen groups. Mr. Ponder's ability to work with such diverse interests to develop creative, practical and economical solutions is demonstrated by his involvement in the successful approval and permitting of thousands of residential units during the past several years. Most of these residential units were master planned projects in the communities of Sabre Springs, Mira Mesa, Carmel Valley, and Otay Mesa in the City of San Diego. Current projects include redevelopment, infill and mixed use developments in northern, southern, and eastern San Diego County, as well as an additional 3,500+ residential units in the Otay Mesa and Mira Mesa Community Planning Areas in the City of San Diego.
