Four Decades Of Legal Excellence

Thomas F. Coates

Thomas F. Coates

Location:

Phone:

Fax:

804-285-2849

Email:

Thomas Coates is co-founder, as well as an officer, director, shareholder and executive committee member, of Coates & Davenport. Tom began his practice as a U.S. Army lawyer and later focused his practice on civil rights, criminal defense and civil litigation. In the early- to mid-1970s, he served as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Richmond, where he prosecuted thousands of criminal cases, including 50 felony jury trials.

After founding Coates & Davenport in 1974, Tom's primary areas of practice included litigation, commercial transactions, corporate and divorce and family law. He has an extensive background in real estate and business transactions from residential and commercial real estate purchases and sales to major corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Tom has provided general business and corporate legal advice businesses, professional practices and their manage­ments on matters pertaining to organizational structure and restructuring, debt and equity capital formation, strategic plan­ning and marketing, contract negotiation, risk management, executive compensation and severance, restrictive covenants, intellectual property protection, and prevention and/or res­olution of shareholder/partnership/limited liability company membership-management disputes.

He has life-long and extensive involvement in the Richmond and Commonwealth business and non-profit communities, serving as a board member for various corporations. He was chairman of the organizing committee and an initial director in the formation and start-up of First Capital Bank in Richmond, and has served on the boards of and as counsel for numerous non-profit educational and charitable organizations and institu­tions in Virginia and beyond.

Bar Admissions

  • Virginia Supreme Court
  • Virginia, 1969
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia, 1971
  • U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia, 1972
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit, 1972
  • U.S. Tax Court, 1987

Published Works

  • Dunbar Group, LLC v. Tignor, 267 Va. 361, 593 S.E. 2d 216, Va. LEXIS 49 (2004)
  • Swander v. Swander, Va. App. LEXIS 419 (Court of Appeals of Virginia 2001)
  • Hendrick v. Brown & Root, Inc., 50 F.Supp. 2d 527 (U.S. Dist. Court E.D. Va 1999)
  • Parks v. Parks, Va. App. LEXIS 85 (Court of Appeals of Virginia 1998)
  • IAC International v. James, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21859 (U.S. Dist. Ct. E.D. Va. 1996)
  • Gelletly v. Gelletly, Va. App. LEXIS 39 (Court of Appeals of Virginia 1996)
  • Griswold v. Commonwealth, 21 Va. App. 22; 461 S.E.2d 411 (Court of Appeals of Virginia 1995)
  • Hughes v. Gentry, 18 Va. App. 318; 443 S.E.2d 448 (Court of Appeals of Virginia 1994)
  • Everett v. I-Net, Inc., 900 F2d 251 (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit 1990)
  • Wiecking v. Allied Medical Supply Corp., 239 Va. 548; 391 S.E.2d 258 (Supreme Court of Virgin­ ia 1990)
  • Morris v. United Virginia Bank, 237 Va. 331; 377 S.E.2d 611 (Supreme Court of Virginia 1989)
  • Miles v. Richmond, 236 Va. 341; 373 S.E.2d 715 (Supreme Court of Virginia 1988)
  • Vt. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Ctr., Inc., CL96-156, CIRCUIT COURT OF NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 66
  • Goode v. Commonwealth, Record No. 760506, Supreme Court of Virginia, 217 Va. 863, April 22, 1977, 234 S.E.2d 239; Va. LEXIS 250
  • Nero v. Commonwealth, Record No. 7932, Supreme Court of Virginia, 213 Va. 154; 191 S.E.2d 226, September 1, 1972, Va. LEXIS 324
  • Holt v. Richmond, Civ. A. No. 151-71-R, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EAST­ ERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND DIVISION, 334 F. Supp. 228, November 20, 1971
  • Holt v. Richmond, Nos. 71-2185, 71-2186, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT, 459 F.2d 1093, February 10, 1972, U.S. App. LEXIS 9768
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 406 U.S. 903
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 92 S. Ct. 1602
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 31 L. Ed. 2d 814
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, Apr. 24, 1972
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 408 U.S. 931
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 92 S. Ct. 2510
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 33 L. Ed. 2d 343
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, Jun. 26, 1972
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 429 U.S. 914
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 97 S. Ct. 304
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 50 L. Ed. 2d 280
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, November 1, 1976

Representative Cases

  • Swander v. Swander, Va. App. LEXIS 419, 2001, Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2001602488
  • Hendrick v. Brown & Root, Inc., 50 F.Supp. 2d 527, 1999, U.S. Dist. Court E.D. Va, 1999135070
  • Parks v. Parks, Va. App. LEXIS 85, 1998, Court of Appeals of Virginia
  • IAC International v. James, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21859, 1996, U.S. Dist. Ct. E.D. Va., 1997026723
  • Gelletly v. Gelletly, Va. App. LEXIS 39, 1996, Court of Appeals of Virginia
  • Griswold v. Commonwealth, 21 Va. App. 22; 461 S.E.2d 411, 1995, Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1995179697
  • Hughes v. Gentry, 18 Va. App. 318; 443 S.E.2d 448, 1994, Court of Appeals of Virginia, 1994099366
  • Everett v. I-Net, Inc., 900 F2d 251, 1990, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1990063183
  • Wiecking v. Allied Medical Supply Corp., 239 Va. 548; 391 S.E.2d 258, 1990, Supreme Court of Virginia, 1990066941
  • Morris v. United Virginia Bank, 237 Va. 331; 377 S.E.2d 611, 1989, Supreme Court of Virginia, 1989033585
  • Miles v. Richmond, 236 Va. 341; 373 S.E.2d 715, 1988, Supreme Court of Virginia, 1988150036
  • Vt. Mut. Ins. Co. v. Ctr., Inc., CL96-156, CIRCUIT COURT OF NELSON COUNTY, VIRGINIA, 66 Va. Cir. 455, January 29, 2001, Decided, Va. Cir. LEXIS 534
  • Goode v. Commonwealth, Record No. 760506, Supreme Court of Virginia, 217 Va. 863, April 22, 1977, 234 S.E.2d 239; 1977 Va. LEXIS 250
  • Nero v. Commonwealth, Record No. 7932, Supreme Court of Virginia, 213 Va. 154; 191 S.E.2d 226, September 1, 1972, Va. LEXIS 324
  • Holt v. Richmond, Civ. A. No. 151-71-R, UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND DIVISION, 334 F. Supp. 228, November 20, 1971, U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10686
  • Holt v. Richmond, Nos. 71-2185, 71-2186, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT, 459 F.2d 1093, February 10, 1972, U.S. App. LEXIS 9768,
  • Holt v. Richmond, Nos. 71-2185, 71-2186, UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FOURTH CIRCUIT, Argued, May 3, 1972, Decided, Certiorari Denied June 26, 1972, Reported at 408 U.S. 931
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES , 406 U.S. 903
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES , 92 S. Ct. 1602
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES , 31 L. Ed. 2d 814
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, Apr. 24, 1972, U.S. LEXIS 2813
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 408 U.S. 931
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 92 S. Ct. 2510
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 33 L. Ed. 2d 343
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, Jun. 26, 1972, U.S. LEXIS 2113
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 429 U.S. 914
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 97 S. Ct. 304
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, 50 L. Ed. 2d 280
  • Holt v. Richmond, SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES, November 1, 1976, U.S. LEXIS 3253, 1976

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • American Bar Association
  • American Association for Justice
  • Virginia State Bar, Member, Business Law Section and Family Law Section
  • Virginia Trial Lawyers Association
  • Bar Association of the City of Richmond
  • Henrico County Bar Association
  • Chesterfield County Bar Association

Past Employment Positions

  • City of Richmond, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney
  • First Capital Bank in Richmond

Practice Areas

  • Litigation Corporate Law
  • Transactions

Education

  • Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia
    • J.D. - 1969
  • Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA
    • B.A. - 1966

We Can Help!

Contact us today for a case review.

LEARN MORE