Innovative Solutions to
Achieve Success
John Smolak is a Partner and Co-Founder of Smolak & Vaughan LLP. His practice is concentrated in the areas of land use, environmental, and real estate development law. Prior to forming the firm in 2004, John was Co-Chairman of the Real Estate and Environmental Group with Burns & Levinson LLP in Boston. John has represented property owners and developers in over seventy cities and towns in Massachusetts in all aspects of real estate development, including the licensing and permitting of land use projects such as office buildings and parks, shopping centers, institutional and educational facilities, hotels, affordable and multifamily housing developments, residential complexes, and other mixed use developments. | |
![]() Brian Vaughan |
Brian Vaughan is a Partner and Co-Founder of Smolak & Vaughan LLP. Brian's practice is focused in the areas of commercial real estate and corporate finance. Brian has extensive experience representing banks and other financial institutions, private lenders and borrowers in a wide array of commercial transactional matters, including secured and unsecured lending, real estate finance (acquisition, construction and permanent financings), asset-based lending, commercial and industrial lending, equipment leasing and loan transactions, loan syndications and participations, and sophisticated intercreditor and subordination agreements. |
![]() Mark Barrett |
Mark Barrett practices in the areas of trusts and estates, small business advising, and taxation. Mr. Barrett prepares estate plans for taxable and non-taxable estates, small business owners, and, in collaboration with the firm's real estate attorneys, provides tailored solutions to the estate planning needs of real estate owners and investors. Mark represents beneficiaries and both individual and institutional fiduciaries (in Massachusetts courts) in connection with the administration of estates and trusts. |
![]() |
Stephanie Kiefer focuses her legal practice on environmental, land use and zoning law, including permitting and appeals. Over the past fifteen years, Stephanie has been involved in broad ranging projects and associated permitting of wetlands, waterways, sewer and septic, endangered species and MEPA, traditional zoning and subdivision permitting as well as alternate zoning schemes, such as Chapter 40B and Chapter 40R. Stephanie has been active in the permitting of one of the first smart growth zoning developments in the Commonwealth and likewise was a part of the permitting team for the first Tax Credit Exchange program development with funding through the ARRA, reviving developments which faltered with the collapse of the tax credit market |
![]() |
Francis A. Di Luna has devoted a significant portion of his practice to representing the agricultural community. His focus primarily being in connection with federal, state, and local regulation compliance concerning agriculture, land use, marketing, acquisition, and sale of agriculture facilities. A substantial part of Frank’s practice involves municipal land use permitting and environmental issues including, but not limited to: wetlands, hazardous materials, and the use of such materials. For the past 30 years, Frank has been in private legal practice with a large regional law firm and is also experienced in processing trademark applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. |
![]() |
Colleen C. Cook is a seasoned litigator and experienced trial counsel, focusing her practice on complex business litigation, employment, commercial real estate, contract, regulatory, and tort matters. Colleen has spent the last twenty years representing private and public clients at every level of state and federal courts in Massachusetts and has been admitted in many jurisdictions across the country pro hac vice. Above all, Colleen is a trusted advisor to her clients with a no-nonsense approach who aims for the most practical way to resolve a conflict and reach her client’s goals with maximum efficiency. Colleen’s philosophy: she blends diplomacy with her competitive spirit which makes her perfectly poised to tackle any litigation matter— routine or cutting-edge. |