John E. McElhinney - Principal Attorney at the Law Office of Jack McElhinney in Winchester, Massachusetts
Over the course of his career, attorney John E. McElhinney has developed considerable expertise in the fields of real estate and environmental law. Graduating cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1984, Mr. McElhinney began his professional career as an Associate with Boston law firm Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster’s Real Estate and Environmental Group. Serving in this role for six years, he gained experience in real estate financing, leasing, acquisition, and permitting, while frequently publishing and lecturing on various Continuing Legal Education (CLE) topics.
In 1990, McElhinney joined the firm of Ropes & Gray LLP, also based in Boston, as a partner in the Real Estate and Environmental Groups. He provided support for the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and private equity groups concerning real estate acquisition, development, and finance as well as land and environmental use and permitting. Mr. McElhinney represented more than 100 clients in Superfund and hazardous waste site litigations. He served with Ropes & Gray for eight years before accepting a position as Executive Vice President and General Counsel with Willowbend Development, LLC, in Newton, Massachusetts. From 1998 to 2003, he oversaw all real estate activities for the firm’s privately held real estate portfolio, which included $2 billion worth of hotel, commercial, and residential properties located in North America and the Caribbean.
In 2003, John E. McElhinney opened a private practice in Winchester, Massachusetts. Operating as the Law Office of Jack McElhinney, he advises clients on real estate development and land use, particularly concerning environmental matters. He regularly serves as counsel for the real estate interests of the Fireman family, for whom he successfully led a five-year development effort involving assembly, financing, and permitting of a 160-acre brownfield parcel in New Jersey that resulted in a $1 billion residential golf community.
He is a member of the Boston Bar Association and is a licensed Massachusetts Real Estate Broker. He graduated from Dartmouth College magna cum laude with a double major in Economics and Government.
Contact John E. McElhinney at 1-617-816-4092.