John C. White is originally from Dallas, Texas but has lived in Florida since 2002 after previous stops in Chicago, Connecticut, New York, Alaska and North Carolina. White received a Bachelor of Arts in History from Davidson College in 1995 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Law in 1999. While studying at UNC, he was an Editor of the North Carolina Banking Institute Journal and was a Staff Member of the School of Law’s Attorney General Office.
Before becoming Of Counsel to Hobby & Hobby, P.A.in October 2013 John White was Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for seven years with the development company Sierra Properties. While he was with Sierra Properties, White both supervised and was directly involved in all aspects of the company’s development business including:
- Raw and developed land acquisitions
- Processing of comprehensive plan amendments, obtaining approvals for and amendments to Developments of Regional Impact, re-zonings and Master Planned community approvals, and negotiation of a variety of municipal development agreements
- Directing permitting for residential and commercial projects on local, state and federal levels
- Supervision of public and private project infrastructure construction
- Formation, ongoing management and turnover of both commercial and residential community associations
- Dispositions, including sales and long term ground leasing of commercial and residential parcels
Previously to his time at Sierra Properties, White also engaged in a commercial real estate practice with the law firm of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A. in Orlando Florida where he represented a variety of developers and real estate investment trusts. While at Lowndes he represented clients in the acquisition, financing and operations of portfolios of restaurants, commercial retail, hotels and golf, spa and recreation resorts. He was heavily involved in the acquisition and commercial mortgage backed securities financing of properties including the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, La Quinta Resort & Club, the Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa and the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa.
Prior to his time at Lowndes, White engaged in a commercial and residential real estate practice with Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland, LLP in the Outer Banks and Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
His involvement in the community has included service on the boards of directors of organizations including the Albemarle Food Bank, Pasquotank Committee of 100, and the Elizabeth City Boys and Girls Club. He worked as a volunteer youth worker on a small island village in Alaska for a year between college and law school where he secured grants for a drug-free youth program. He served as an Advisory Board Council Member for the University of Central Florida Small Business Development Center and was a member of the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association. He also actively supports Easter Seals of Florida and is on the Board of Directors of the Arbor Church in Tampa.
White was named a Super Lawyers Florida Rising Star in 2009.
White is admitted to practice law in Florida and North Carolina.