Overview
John M. “Mac” Blanchard is an associate in the firm’s transactional department, where he focuses on real estate transactions and financing, commercial leasing, land use and development, and business law. A cum laude graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law, Mac combines a strong academic foundation with professional experience to serve his clients effectively.
During law school, Mac earned a certificate in Environmental Law and served as Managing Editor for the University of Hawai‘i Law Review. He received CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Contract Drafting and Legal Research and held leadership roles as president of both the Environmental Law Society and the Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society. He currently serves as an Oahu Director of the Young Lawyers Division and as a Director and Secretary of the Real Property & Financial Services Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association.
Prior to joining the firm, Mac practiced at another Honolulu firm, representing lenders in commercial financing and handling real estate and development matters. Before pursuing his legal degree, he gained valuable experience in business development and legal marketing at an international Am Law A-List firm.
Recognized as a 2025 40 Under 40 Honoree by Pacific Business News and as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Real Estate Law (2025–2026) and Business & Corporate Law (2026), Mac is also listed in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in the practice areas of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) and Real Estate Law. He is a recent Fellow of the 16th Annual HSBA Leadership Institute.
Experience
- Led drafting and negotiation of commercial agreements and managed transactions from initial structuring through closing and post-closing matters.
- Advised on complex real estate transactions, including financing, leasing, development, acquisitions, dispositions, and asset management, as well as land use and regulatory matters.
- Advised clients on corporate and transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, entity formation, and governance.
- Purchasers and sellers in commercial real estate acquisitions, including a multi-tower office building in downtown Honolulu.
- Borrowers and lenders in traditional mortgage, commercial mortgage-backed securities, mezzanine, and private equity financings.
- Sellers and purchasers in the purchase and sale of significant commercial and specialty businesses.
- Developers in the formation of commercial condominium regimes and subsequent unit sales, including dispositions to workforce housing developers.
- Developers in negotiating and documenting multi-phase development agreements with the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, including projects exceeding 100 acres, involving hundreds of residential units, infrastructure development, and layered federal and state funding.
- Developers in structuring and negotiating financing for large-scale commercial and residential development projects with major financial institutions.
- Landlords and tenants in structuring and negotiating complex commercial leases and ground leases, including for mixed-use developments.
- Founders, owners, and business entities in equity ownership, corporate governance, and entity formation matters, including stock purchases and sales, redemptions, organizational document amendments, and drafting operating agreements.
- “Drafting LLC Operating Agreements in 2024,” National Business Institute Speaking Engagement (July 30, 2024).
- “Business Contracts A-Z for Paralegals,” National Business Institute Speaking Engagement (February 7, 2023).
Honors
- 40 Under 40 Honoree, Pacific Business News, 2025
- Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch – Business Organizations & Real Estate Law, 2026 Edition
- Super Lawyers: Rising Stars (Real Estate Law, 2025–2026; Business & Corporate Law, 2026)
- CALI Excellence for the Future Awards: Contract Drafting, Legal Research
Affiliations
- Hawaii State Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association
- HSBA Young Lawyers Division, Oahu Director
- HSBA Real Property & Financial Services Section, Director and Secretary
- 2024 HSBA Leadership Institute Fellow
- Kokonut Koalition, Volunteer
- Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor Society