Who We Are

Heather deVrieze

Partner

Practice
Heather's practice focuses on Wills, Trust, Probate, and Elder Law. A 1998 graduate of Seattle University School of Law, Heather began work as an associate attorney with Sharon E. Best in a small firm close to home. In January 2008 Sharon invited Heather to become a partner. In April 2012, when Sharon decided to scale back her practice in anticipation of retirement, Heather began her own practice with Elizabeth (Lisa) M. Carney, another attorney in their firm.

As a two-time cancer survivor, Heather brings a unique perspective to the process of Estate Planning, with a particular appreciation for the health care planning aspect. She enjoys people and the world around her, celebrating each day as an opportunity and finds the most job satisfaction when she can assist clients who are themselves facing serious medical challenges.

Heather's first experience with attorneys was with King County prosecuting attorneys as a witness in a complicated criminal trial at the age of eleven. Their sensitivity and determination to see justice done left a lasting impression on Heather who has always enjoyed helping others. During law school Heather served as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for abused and neglected children.

Personal
Heather was primarily raised on Vashon Island, the oldest of 4 sisters. She attended school both on Vashon and in West Seattle. After heading east to the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, where she met and married her husband, in 1993 Heather happily returned to West Seattle. Following her first cancer diagnosis (brain cancer) and treatment, Heather became pregnant with her son. While pregnant she was diagnosed with and treated for malignant melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer. Just before starting her final year of law school Heather gave birth to her son.

Outside of the office, Heather enjoys the wonders of Washington State, hiking many of our beautiful trails, camping, and climbing several local volcanoes, including summiting Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker multiple times. Heather also loves to travel, incorporating fitness, hiking and climbing into many of her trips, like her fall 2010 trip to Tanzania, to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and several trips to Europe enjoying trails in the Alps.

Education:
Juris Doctor | Seattle University School of Law
Bachelor of Arts: Sociology w/Honors | University of Pennsylvania

Professional Associations:
Washington State Bar Association
   · Real Property Probate & Trust section
   · Solo and Small Firm Practice section
King County Bar Association
   · Elder Law section
   · Real Property Probate & Trust section
   · Solo and Small Firm Practice section

Speaking Engagements:
Heather has presented to practitioners and various associations over the years of her practice, from a presentation to charitable donors regarding Wills and charitable giving, to presentations about Powers of Attorney and Medical Directives to associations of service providers working with the elderly. Heather has presented to attorneys aspiring to open their own solo or small firm practice regarding her lived experience in a small firm and the importance of managing client expectations both in our spoken and written communication with clients.

Link to bio in WSBA BarNews (PDF)

Contact:

Elizabeth (Lisa) M Carney

Partner

Practice
Lisa's practice is focused on transactional matters involving individuals and their relationships with real estate: buying, selling, owning, and leasing. This includes property transfers pursuant to marriage dissolution, between family members, and assisting clients in selling and buying property without use of a broker.

Along with changes in ownership, her practice includes assisting clients in embracing the joys of owning property. This includes preparation of a lease for a new tenant or an Operating Agreement for a new Limited Liability Company. She also assists clients with, for instance, navigation of unexpected opinions of a new neighbor regarding reasonable use of a shared boundary line, and unexpected survey results when preparing for development. Lisa's goal is to assist clients in resolution without litigation.

Before the Law
Seattle has always been home for Lisa. Previous employment included several years at United Parcel Service, honing skills of time management and operational efficiencies. At UPS, productive repetition ruled the days. Additionally, several years were spent in the Dot-Com Boom. Here, nearly nothing was the same day to day; that was the goal of a startup. Each day was spent seeking ways to improve existing circumstances, gathering information and applying new perspectives. The practice of law has components of both.

Volunteer
Steel Toe Teens

Certifications
The Dispute Resolution Center of King County
Certificate of Completion: CoRE basic training program

Education
Juris Doctor | Seattle University School of Law
Bachelor of Arts: Economics | University of Washington
Bachelor of Arts: International Studies | Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington

Professional Associations
Washington State Bar Association
King County Bar Association

Contact:

Kailei B. Feeney

Partner

Kailei B. Feeney practices estate planning, probate, business and transactional real estate.

Kailei attended law school in Portland, Oregon. In 2011, Kailei returned to Washington and continued her legal career at Best & deVrieze, PLLC, operating as attorney and office manager. Kailei joined deVrieze | Carney PLLC in 2012 and became partner in 2025.

Before law, Kailei's professional background was construction. From operating as sole construction maintenance person for a national restaurant chain to starting her own business as a specialty contractor, Kailei feels her background brings a grounded real-world perspective in addressing clients' needs. Regardless of the context, Kailei enjoys figuring out practical and efficient solutions for her clients.

Although hailing from a West Seattle family with roots dating to the early 1900's, Kailei was born and raised in a small town on the Big Island of Hawai'i. Growing up on a cattle ranch gave her an early and lasting love of the natural world and appreciation of the work it takes to make it productive. Kailei is the only under-eighteen person from Hawai'i to win a World Championship in western riding. This experience continues to inform her approach to problem solving - passion, determination and measured consistency will get results.

In her down time, she is happiest connecting with her large and geographically scattered family, enjoying the outdoors of the Northwest with her husband, digging in her garden, cooking and planning her canning recipes and learning new things.

Professional Associations
Washington State Bar Association
   · Real Property Probate and Trust Section
   · Solo and Small Practice Section
   · Elder Law Section

King County Bar Association
   · Real Property Probate and Trust Section

Oregon State Bar Association
   · Real Property Probate and Trust Section

Education
Juris Doctor | Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College | 2008
   · Animal Law Review, Articles Editor, 2007
Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy | Seattle University | 2004
   · Magna Cum Laude
   · President's List
   · Dean's List

Contact:

Francine Stroud

Office Manager
Legal Assistant

Current
Since 2013, in her roles as Office Manager and Legal Assistant at our firm, Francine has facilitated the administrative and support functions that are critical to a successful law practice.

History
Francine has had a long and varied career including practicing midwifery for 25 years, teaching in a private school, being a volunteer firefighter, providing Home Health Care for the elderly, providing Social Services at a nursing home in Portland, OR, and finally as principle buyer for a chain of fabric and home decorating stores on the east coast.

Working with and supporting people has been a central theme in all of her life roles.

Personal
Francine and her husband raised four daughters on Vashon Island, where they lived for 25 years. Home for her is definitely the Pacific Northwest. Outside the office, Francine enjoys sewing, knitting, and a variety of fiber arts, gardening, hiking and other outdoor activities. Most of all she is enjoying being “home” in Seattle and close to her children and grandchildren.

Danielle Glover

Paralegal

Current
Since 2022, as the firm's probate paralegal, Danielle has assisted our clients through the process of administering the estate of a deceased friend or family member. She was drawn to this area of law to help people navigate one of the most difficult paths so many must travel, continuing on after the death of a loved one.

Personal
A lifelong resident of West Seattle, Danielle attended Lafayette Elementary School, Madison Middle School, and Chief Sealth High School.

History
Before joining de Vrieze | Carney PLLC, Danielle spent over 20 years in the trade show industry. The majority of this time was in project management.

Education
Bachelor of Arts: Classics | Whitman College | 2001
Advanced Paralegal Certificate | Edmonds College | 2022

Brooklyn Borges

Operations Manager
Legal Assistant

Current
Since 2024, in her roles at deVrieze | Carney PLLC, Brooklyn has been the primary first contact with nearly every client who comes to our firm either in person, via email or via phone. In her positions, she incorporates her over 15 years of human resources experience, and a proven track record of streamlining processes, into her management of client engagement and operations of the firm. Her previous work also contributes to her smooth operations as a Legal Assistant. In this role, Brooklyn facilitates critical client communications and document management.

History
Before joining de Vrieze | Carney PLLC, Brooklyn spent the majority of her professional career in the Biotechnology sector where she successfully implemented cost-saving initiatives, improved operational Key Performance Indicators, and fostered a culture of continuous improvement in her workplace.

Education
Brooklyn is originally from the Big Island of Hawaii and moved to Washington after high school to attend the University of WA.