Biography

Heather Kirkpatrick is a partner at DeHay & Elliston, manages the California offices and serves as National Coordinating Counsel, overseeing litigation throughout the country.  In this capacity, she oversees and directs all aspects of the client’s defense including discovery strategy, preparation and defense of corporate representative witnesses, motion practice, trial preparation, management of defense spend, and settlement negotiations.  

Ms. Kirkpatrick has represented both Plaintiffs and Defendants in Personal Injury Litigation since 2011. She has focused on defense work, defending a wide range of clients including manufacturers, supply chain stores, premises owners, public transportation companies, public entities, and large utility companies. She has also represented a religious organization against five-decade old claims of negligence stemming from allegations of sexual assault at the local level.

Ms. Kirkpatrick earned her Juris Doctorate from The University of San Francisco School of Law. While at USF Law she was on the board of The Women’s Law Association and was an active member of the Trial Advocacy Team. Heather studied International Law at Trinity University in Dublin, Ireland during the summer of 2008. She also obtained a Certificate in Business and Corporate Law from USF Law. Ms. Kirkpatrick graduated from University of California, Davis in 2007 with a B.A. in both English and Political Science. While earning her undergraduate degrees she studied in Scotland at the University of Edinburgh.

Honors

Ms. Kirkpatrick was selected as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022; a distinction earned by only 2.5% of eligible attorneys.