Our Team

Whitney L. Smith, Esq., brings a wealth of experience to Vaughn Law, PLLC, where she is committed to advocating for individuals and businesses navigating complex real estate disputes. A St. Petersburg native, Whitney previously founded and led Your Rental Property Attorney PLLC, where she developed a strong focus on real estate transactions, business formation, property disputes, and landlord-tenant matters. Her approach centers on providing practical, customized solutions for clients aiming to protect and maximize their real estate interests.

At Vaughn Law, Whitney’s practice focuses on real estate litigation, guiding clients through property disputes, landlord-tenant conflicts, and related legal challenges. She also handles select transactional work, including drafting contracts and leases, ensuring her clients have secure and effective agreements in place to support their real estate goals.

Throughout her career, Whitney has been dedicated to empowering real estate investors and fostering a supportive community for women in the field. She is committed to connecting with others in real estate, sharing her knowledge, and contributing to initiatives that support the success and growth of women professionals in the industry.

Before beginning her legal career, Whitney owned a successful pet care business, where she gained firsthand experience with small business management, client relationships, and the challenges business owners face. This background influences her approach to real estate law, helping her to address the unique needs and concerns of her clients with a practical, business-minded perspective.

Education:

• J.D., Stetson University College of Law
• B.A., Political Science

Memberships and Community Involvement:

• InvestHer
• Female Real Estate Investors

Personal Background:

• Whitney is a dedicated mother of two and a proud pit bull owner who remains connected to her St. Petersburg roots.

As Director of Administration, Tracey keeps both Vaughn Law offices running smoothly.  Her decades of professional business experience support our incredible team by overseeing all functions of the office: its systems, collaborative business partnerships, and community outreach to optimize their work environment and our client’s experience.  

After work, Tracey utilizes her study of Business Law and Florida’s Condominium Statutes as the President of her Association and Executive Board Member for her residential community.  She is an advocate for the awareness and education of Aphasia with Voices of Hope in the St. Petersburg area.  She relishes the joys of life by lunching, laughing, and lounging on the beach with family & friends, is centered by meditation, and grounded by ‘The Golden Rule’. 

Michael bid adieu to the midwest of Ohio in June of 2022 where he put his financial expertise to work at Walla F. Ackley Real Estate in Columbus, OH before joining the Vaughn Law, PLLC team.  He is thrilled to be a Largo resident, and we couldn’t be happier to have Michael on the team serving our clients with his financial expertise and commitment to excellence in everything he does. Michael found his way to the great profession of finance due to his love of numbers, and his talent & passion for navigating the fast pace of funding accounts led him to real estate law & to us!

When not helping clients with closings, you can find Michael on the boat fishing or on the shore enjoying long days at the beach, and spending time with family.

Barbara has over 30 years of experience in the escrow and title industry. As a Florida Licensed Title Insurance Agent, she oversees escrow closings, working closely with Sellers, Buyers, Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, and Lenders to ensure the closing deadline is met.

After she worked for a large title company based out of Clearwater for 16 years and managed several of the offices, she opened her own Title Company, which she had for 14 years. Always up for the next adventure, Barbara came to St Pete Beach to bestow her incredible expertise with home buyers and sellers on this side of the gulf. We couldn’t be more grateful to have her on our team, bringing great value and care to Vaughn Law, PLLC team and clients.

When not working, Barbara loves DIY projects around the house, rivals Betty Crocker in the kitchen, gardens and spends time with beloved friends and family. Her husband and Dapple Dachshund, Fiona are the lucky beneficiaries of much of Barb’s adoration away from serving clients at the office. If you know anything about a Dachshund, they are stubborn and rule the house, and now Barb admits to being a lucky resident of Fiona’s home, and she loves it!

Kathie is a paralegal at Vaughn Law, where she focuses on supporting eachof the firms’ attorneys with Litigation, Probate and Estate Planning processes. She Joined Vaughn Law in January of 2023, she has spent the last 23 years working in three (3) previous Law Firms in Pinellas County, Florida. To date, she has been a Notary with the State of Florida for 18 years.

Mrs. Hart grew up in Philadelphia, “The City of Brotherly Love”, then lived in New Jersey a few years, prior to making the decision to move her family out of the cold to the warm and Sunny State of Florida. She has lived in Pinellas County for 26 years, was on the board at her local baseball league, while raising her three sons with her spouse and has recently become a new “Nama”.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking bike rides on the Pinellas trail, walking her grand pups, reading and relaxing at the beach. She also enjoys exploring the whole state of Florida to find adventures advertised on Bay News 9 “Florida on a Tankful” with her husband.

 

Corey is an Administrative Assistant at Vaughn Law and has been with the firm since the summer of 2020. He was born and raised in Bradenton, Florida and currently resides in the Sarasota area. Corey recently obtained his bachelor’s degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida. He has aspirations of becoming an attorney and plans to attend law school. In his free time, Corey enjoys reading and being outdoors. He is a fitness enthusiast and competes in powerlifting competitions around the country.