Bill Coates

Experience, judgment, and  credibility define effective advocacy at the highest levels.

Bill Coates is a founding partner of Cassidy Coates Price and a highly regarded trial attorney with more than four decades of experience handling complex litigation and high‑stakes matters across South Carolina and the Southeast. His practice includes commercial and corporate litigation, financial and real estate disputes, healthcare and environmental litigation, and government and white collar matters.

Following law school, Bill served as a legislative aide to United States Senator Strom Thurmond and as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee. He later served as an Assistant United States Attorney for South Carolina, prosecuting cases in federal court throughout the state. This experience in government service continues to inform his approach to litigation, investigations, and regulatory matters.

As a former federal prosecutor, Bill regularly represents clients in government investigations and white collar criminal defense. He also advises clients on election and ethics matters, an area in which his judgment and experience are widely recognized.

Bill has handled some of the most significant litigation matters in the region. In United States v. W.R. Grace, the federal government alleged Clean Air Act violations against W.R. Grace and several former executives. After a ten‑week federal trial in Montana in 2009, all charges were dismissed against Bill’s client, a former site manager. The Environmental Protection Agency described the case as one of the most significant environmental prosecutions it had ever brought.

Bill is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, one of the most selective and prestigious organizations for trial lawyers in the United States. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, and is a former board member of the Defense Research Institute. His leadership roles include serving as President of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association, Chair of the South Carolina Bar’s Judicial Qualifications Committee, and Chair of the South Carolina State Ethics Commission. He most recently served on the Board of Directors of the South Carolina State Ports Authority.

Bill’s professional excellence and public service have been widely recognized. He has been selected for inclusion in South Carolina Super Lawyers every year since its inaugural issue in 2008 in the areas of Business Litigation, Environmental Litigation, and White Collar Criminal Defense. He holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale‑Hubbell, is a Master of the Haynsworth/Perry Inn of Court, and has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation and Legal 500 City Elite for his work in litigation.

In recognition of his service to the legal profession and the public, Bill was awarded the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor. In 2012, he received the Robert W. Hemphill Award from the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys Association, the organization’s highest honor.