OFFICE MANAGER

Sheree Tonioli is our Office Manager at McFerran Law. Being a boutique law firm focusing on real estate related matters, her job involves a wide variety of endeavors including:  payroll, human resources, accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and all the other parts of our law practice required that allow all of our attorneys and staff to service our clients seamlessly and professionally. Sheree is the backbone of our real estate practice!

Sheree is another one of our long-term career staff and will be your point of contact as a client of our firm regarding any billing or administrative matters. You can be assured that Sheree will handle your matter promptly and professionally. She is a great communicator and prompt to respond to any and all client needs as regards administrative matters.

Born in Tacoma, Sheree grew up in Gig Harbor. She graduated from Peninsula High School and then continued on to college here locally. Sheree presently lives in University Place.

Prior to joining the law office, she was employed for many years in an accounting and administrative capacity with a local escrow company in Pierce County aptly named Pierce County Escrow Company. Our Founder purchased that escrow company in the late 1980’s and, at the time, Sheree became a member of the McFerran Family of Companies where she has been employed as a key employee ever since.

Sheree is well known around our law office for her attention to detail and how she strives to take care of all of the administrative needs of our clients timely and professionally. All of our employees know that they can always depend on Sheree to get any client’s needs met quickly. This she has done consistently over her many years with the firm.

Sheree is a career manager at McFerran Law and can be reached directly at (253) 284-3803.

Vice-President for Operations and Administration Tax Deferred Exchange

Susy Heatherly is an extremely long-term career employee with our law firm with over thirty-two (32) years of continued employment. We are proud to have Susy as an employee.

Susy is a person that just can’t say no. She says that her dad taught her that. During her long tenure with our firm, she has held a variety of jobs, but mainly she took charge and did whatever we needed to do during periods of the firm’s history. She has done just about every job and held almost every position in the law office, except being an attorney, of course!

Susy presently is Vice-President for Operations and Administration in our tax deferred exchange group. In that capacity, she acts as “Qualified Intermediary” involving 1031 tax deferred exchange transactions all around the United States. Clients know that Susy is on top of their transaction and is always available to help, assist and answer all their questions.

Our Susy was an Army brat. She was born in Seoul, Korea. At a very young age she grew up in Germany, then Hawaii and ended up living here locally in Washington since she was about three years old.

At the very young age of sixteen, Susy started working at the Tacoma Narrows Credit Union. After that, she got her legal feet wet with a local law firm finding  employment with our firm shortly after. The rest is a long history of true dedication.

Susy lives here locally and has three sons. When not assisting our clients, Susy enjoys camping, kayaking, fishing and sightseeing.

Susy is a long-time career employee and can be reach directly at (253) 284-3865.

RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL ESCROW ASSISTANT

Shelly Hummel is a success story all her own. She is a woman who always amazes her fellow workers at our law office with her tenacity and determination. Actually, all of us at the law firm knew Shelly long before she became an employee. Her husband Kevin was a long-term management employee of the firm long before Shelly even thought of becoming an employee.

With children getting older and becoming less dependent, Shelly sought an opportunity to work part-time in accounting at our firm during the middle of the day when her kids were in school. It was a match made in heaven, as Shelly was like a sponge learning all the various accounting functions and software programs. She was a natural. Her accuracy was a delight to our office manager Sheree Tonioli. Shelly was a real asset to the firm.

Over time, Shelly played an ever-increasing role in the day to day activities of our law firm in accounting, escrow, and even tax deferred exchanges. She filled in during vacations and became Sheree’s right hand person in accounting. She did all this while only working part-time!!

A sad event occurred. Shelly’s husband Kevin experienced a severe illness forcing his retirement which occurred right in the middle of his long over sixteen-year career with the firm. It was a sad day for the Hummel family as well as a sad day for all of us at our law office. Shelly now became the primary bread-winner for her entire family.

As could be expected from our Shelly, she applied for a full-time position at our law office as escrow assistant to one of our long-time (now retired) escrow attorneys. Shelly took up the task of escrow and she learned from the best now as a career full-time employee.

Shelly Hummel has since then been promoted and  is now Commercial and Residential Escrow Assistant working with our Founder. Shelly is daily involved in all aspects of escrow work at our office in Tacoma. We are proud of the role Shelly plays daily in serving our client’s escrow needs.

Shelly is a full-time career employee and can be reached directly at (253) 284-3831.

CERTIFIED EXCHANGE SPECIALIST

Adam Grubbs is a very special person at our law office. He is not an attorney. He is not a paralegal. He is definitely not a legal assistant. Who, then,  is Adam Grubbs and what does he do at McFerran Law?

Adam Grubbs is a 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange Specialist. He has been designated at our law firm as “Certified Exchange Specialist.” You see, the tax deferred exchange portion of our practice is national in scope. Yes, the whole United States!!  Our clients are located literally everywhere and, frankly, sometimes even outside of the continental United States.

Adam is an expert on all the rules to properly complete a tax deferred exchange. He knows it all. Many are surprised as even attorneys at other law firms around the country call him for 1031 tax exchange advice. They even ask him to help them with their own tax exchanges. He is that good!

Adam spends his days (and nights and sometimes weekends) on the phone; in a Zoom conference, or even meeting exchange clients at our office. This is the only area of our law practice in which our firm provides free consultations.  Adam is sometimes booked hour on the hour for the whole day advising clients on the ins and outs of the tax deferred exchange process. Day in and day out, Adam is our client’s “go-to guy” on anything related to tax deferred exchanges.

Adam brings a broad legal related background in real estate and law matters to the firm. Before joining McFerran Law, Adam worked for a local title insurance company honing his real estate skills and working with brokers, agents, mortgage lenders, not to mention buyers and sellers, in both residential and commercial transactions. He brings a broad understanding of real estate and title matters to his clients.

Adam specializes in (and is responsible for) educating consumers, clients, accountants, attorneys, and other industry professionals on the often-complicated rules and guidelines associated with each 1031 tax deferred exchange opportunity. As a specialist, Adam takes great pride in educating, coaching, and guiding clients in support of their real estate investment goals.

Adam tells us that his daily inspiration to provide extraordinary client services comes from his daughter. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports; home renovation; live music; pursuing personal and professional education, and a spirited daily focus on health and fitness.

Adam can be reach directly at (253) 284-3814. He is always excited to talk about tax deferred exchanges.

SENIOR LITIGATION PARALEGAL

Kelly Vinson is a career litigation paralegal at our law firm. She focuses her practice working with our real estate litigation attorneys. Our litigation group is really somewhat separate and apart from other aspects of our law practice. Their emphasis is dealing with the various court systems at the state and federal level. Those courts require a skill set far different from that of a typical transactional attorney or paralegal working at our law firm.

Kelly Vinson is the firms “go to” person for all matters that involve those many court systems in which we practice. Each court system has strict procedural rules and they differ from one court to the next. Kelly is that important fixture in our law practice that keeps all of our attorneys in compliance with all the court rules where ever those courts are located throughout the State of Washington.

Kelly joined our firm with over a decade of law office litigation experience, but in other areas of practice, not real estate. The court rules are all the same, of course, but our firm’s real estate practice is a lot different than other areas of law for which Kelly was more familiar. Kelly, since her hiring, has immersed herself in real estate law. She has amazed all of our attorneys with her real estate skill development over such a short time.

Kelly knows the stress that clients are under, especially as they are involved in formal litigation matters. One of Kelly’s claims to fame is her ability to be the “rock of compassion” with clients who may be stressed out with the uncertainties of lawsuits and litigation. I guess we should call her the “ear of compassion” as her communication with clients are mostly over the phone.

Kelly also has a life outside of the law practice. Kelly is a wife and mother of two rowdy boys, a sassy girl and one lazy pup. Kelly still has the time for cooking, decorating and crafts.

Kelly is a full-time career employee in the litigation group at McFerran Law. She can be reach directly at (253) 284-3868.

SENIOR PARALEGAL

Megan Nelson is a Senior Paralegal at McFerran Law. She assists two of our real estate attorneys in a practice that emphasizes both transactional legal work as well as light litigation. Even at the young age she was when she hired on at our law firm, she brought with her over twelve years working “hands on” at another local firm which focused on many of the same areas of practice as ours.

Megan, like most of our career employees, was born and raised in the Tacoma area. She attended Stadium High School in Tacoma and has, since then, worked at her chosen career supporting real estate attorneys in the practice of law.

If you are a client of our law firm, you probably already know Megan. She is heavily involved with clients and you probably interact with Megan even more than your attorney. All of us in our office look to her for help and assistance and you never hear her say no. We are blessed to have our Megan Nelson daily serving the legal needs of our clients. She is the best.

It’s hard to believe that Megan still has time for activities other than law work, but she does. During her off time, you will find her out on the pickleball court or spending quality time with her Goldendoodle, Daisy Mae. She enjoys attending live concerts with classic rock her favorite. Megan is also fond of sushi, Mexican food and iced coffee.

Megan Nelson is a full-time career Paralegal at our law firm. She may be reached daily at (253) 284-3869.

SUPPORT & ACCOUNTING

Julie Coblentz is the first person you see when you walk into our office in Tacoma. We don’t want to say that she our receptionist as she is so much more and her contribution to our firm is broad and diverse.

Julie is native to our local Puget Sound region, having grown up in both Fircrest and University Place. In high school, Julie didn’t think anything about law. Her aspiration was gymnastics, working locally at the YMCA both in high school and also in college. She even received a degree in Recreation Management from college!

However, an interest in law caught her eye as she worked for a law firm before she could even finish her Recreation Degree from college. Julie decided that a career in law was where her heart would take her. Doing an about face, she enrolled in the Paralegal Program at Pierce College here in Tacoma.

Julie came to McFerran Law a number of years ago and is a fixture in our law practice. Besides handling client support and accounting duties, Julie is Administrator of our continuing professional education school known as “McFerran University.” Julie always has a smile on her face. Pleasantly helping our clients is a hallmark of Julie  Coblentz.

Julie and her fiancé together own about thirty  Miata vehicles and enjoy zoomin’ around town and, of course, she is not afraid to get her hands dirty when it is time to do some mechanical work on her pride and joy.

Julie Coblentz can be reach daily at (253) 284-3880 and is ready, willing, and able to assist our clients to the very best of her ability.

SENIOR PARALEGAL

Cecile Hedrick is one of our Senior Paralegals at McFerran Law. She works exclusively with our 1031 Tax Deferred Exchange Group, assisting clients throughout the entire United States in administering their tax deferred exchanges of real estate. In that capacity, she is in constant contact, not only with the clients she serves, but title companies, tax attorneys, tax accountants, financial advisors and other industry professionals as well.

Cecile has a broad background in the legal field, having worked for more years than she even wants to admit for a local law firm involved in a diverse practice of law including Estate planning, personal injury, Probate, family law, and a substantial involvement, like our firm, in all matters real estate.

It was this background and experience that caught the firm’s attention recently as we were looking to add a senior staff member that could “plug and pay” and hit the ground running. Cecile was just that person. Her 1031 customers depend on her years of experience and her “can do” attitude.

Cecile was born and raised right here in University Place and is proud to call this area of Puget Sound her home. When not working and assisting our tax clients; Cecile enjoys walking her dog, cooking at home and spending time with her family and friends.

Cecile is a career employee with our firm and may be reached daily at (253) 284-3846. She works hard at our law office to go above and beyond that which our clients’ expect of her and create a pleasant client experience as a result.