EXCELLENCE, TEAMWORK, VISION
Biography:
Gary M. Coates has been providing comprehensive legal services in the Central Virginia area since 1987. He was born in Lynchburg, VA in 1956 and was raised in Campbell County graduating from Rustburg High School. His family owned and operated a restaurant, motel, and cattle farm. Gary has been married since 1980 to artist and legal assistant Ayn F. Coates. Together, they have two daughters. He is active in the Lynchburg Community having served on the Boards of a number of local organizations. He has served as President of the Lynchburg Bar Association and was elected as the Central VA representative to the Virginia State Bar Association. In 2005, he was awarded the Lynchburg Pro Bono Award by the Virginia Legal Aid Society.
Practice Areas:
- Employment Law
- Personal Injury
- Family Law
- Collections
- Traffic Violations
Education:
- University of Richmond, The T.C. Williams School of Law, Richmond, Virginia
- J.D
- Honors:
McNeil Honor Society - Law Review: University of Richmond Law Review, 1985 – 1987
- College of William & Mary, Williamsburg
- B.A
- Major:
Geology
- Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- M.S. – 1987
- Major:
Environmental Science
Bar Admissions:
- Virginia, 1987
- U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1989
- U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 1989
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1992
Professional Associations:
- State Bar Council, 2001 to 2007
- Lynchburg Bar Association, President, 2001 to Present
- Virginia State Bar
- Virginia State Bar Association, Representative
Pro-Bono Activities:
- Virginia Legal Aid Society, 1988 to Present
Honors:
- Lynchburg Pro-Bono Award
Classes / Seminars:
- Employment Law, VA CLE, 1997
- Doss v. Jamco, VA Trial Lawyer Association, 1996
Fraternities / Sororities:
- Sigma Chi
Past Positions:
- McGuino Woods, Associate, 1987 to 1988
- Fralin, Feinman, Coates & Kinnier, P.C., Partner, 1988 to 2006
- Gary M. Coates, 2006 to 2013
- Freeman Dunn Alexander Gay Lucy & Coates, PC, 2013