Mr. Coates graduated with Honors from University of California at Los Angeles in 1978, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in History. He attended law school at the University of Santa Clara and received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Coates began practicing law at the San Luis Obispo law firm Burke, Smith, Helenius & Hayes, in 1982. In 1989, Mr. Coates became a principal in the San Luis Obispo law firm Radovich, Cumberland & Coates. He remained with that firm and its successor firms until 2010, when Coates & Coates LLP was formed. The Law Office of Greg A. Coates was formed in 2017 after Mr. Coates’ law partner, Tana L. Coates, was appointed to the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court bench.
Mr. Coates has practiced law on the Central Coast of California for his entire career. He has tried in excess of 75 Superior Court jury trials and 40 court trials in diverse areas including, personal injury (both plaintiff and defense) employment, construction defect, real estate, trust and probate, governmental liability and education law. Mr. Coates has been a speaker at seminars involving education and employment issues and has also lectured at the San Luis Obispo College of Law. He has served as Judge Pro Tem for the Superior Court and has been on the Court Approved Panel of Arbitrators for civil matters in San Luis Obispo County. Mr. Coates is an “AV” rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell and was selected to Southern California Super Lawyers in 2012. Mr. Coates was awarded the 2019 Honorable mention Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Central Coast Trial Lawyers Association as a result of a $5,510,000 San Luis Obispo County verdict he obtained on behalf of his client in Bruce v. Telfer Technologies, et al.
Mr. Coates is a member of the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association and the Central Coast Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He is licensed to practice law in the State of California and is also licensed to practice law in both the California Northern and Central Districts of the Federal Court, and by the U.S. Court of Appeals (9th Circuit). He has successfully argued cases before the California Second District Court of Appeal and the Ninth Circuit of the Federal Court of Appeal and has obtained published opinions in favor of his clients.
- Todd v. Dow (1993) 19 Cal App. 4th 253;
- Lompoc Unified School District v. Superior Court (1993) 20 Cal. App. 4th 1688;
- Richardson-Tunnell v. Schools Insurance Program for Employees (SIPE) (2007) 157 Cal. App. 4th 1056.
Bar Admissions
- California, 1981
- S. District Court Central District of California
- S. District Court Northern District of California
- S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
Education
- Santa Clara University School of Law,
Santa Clara, California, 1981, J.D. - University of California at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 1978, B.A.
With Honors, Major: History
Professional Associations and Memberships
- San Luis Obispo County Bar Association
- American Board of Trial Advocates
- San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
- San Luis Obispo County Special Olympics, Past Board Member and President