Coats, Larry L

Will has dedicated his entire career as an attorney to the litigation of civil and injury claims where he has represented only plaintiffs. Prior to forming Owens & Miller, Will was the Lead Attorney of the Personal Injury Division of a statewide high volume television marketing injury firm based in Raleigh. Will has a proven track record with appearances in the Superior Court Divisions of 34 counties throughout North Carolina, with numerous jury cases tried to verdict in 8 of these counties. In addition, he appears before the North Carolina Industrial Commission and federal court in the United States District Court. He has successfully negotiated, prosecuted, and litigated claims and cases with all major insurance carriers and most defense firms throughout central North Carolina. Will is frequently selected by fellow attorneys to serve as an Arbitrator in the binding arbitration of contractual disputes typically involving insurance coverage. Will has taught seminars at continuing legal education (CLE) courses, where he has helped teach other attorneys the in’s and out’s of civil litigation, trial work, and insurance coverage.

In 2007, Will was first inducted as a member of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in North Carolina, a section of The National Trial Lawyers. Membership is limited to the Top 100 Trial Lawyers from each state. Selection for The National Trial Lawyers is extended to civil plaintiff and criminal defense attorneys by special invitation. Candidates are considered for membership in The National Trial Lawyers based on superior qualifications, leadership, reputation, influence, stature, and profile in the Trial Lawyer community. At the time of his induction, Will was the youngest member of the Top 100. You can find more information at http://www.thenationaltriallawyers.org/top-100-lawyers-north-carolina.html. Will is also an active member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, as well as the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA), which is a national organization of committed attorneys who have joined together to help eliminate unsafe and illegal interstate trucking practices.

Will enjoys the satisfaction of a job well done, along with the look of satisfaction on his clients’ faces after he has helped them through a difficult time. Will’s current practice includes but is not limited to Complex Civil Litigation, Personal Injury Claims, Wrongful Death Claims, Tractor Trailer Collisions, Motorcycle Injury Claims, Worker’s Compensation, and Premises Liability Claims.
 
Will was born and raised in Oxford, North Carolina, as the son of two public school teachers. He attended the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice in 1998 (and also met his wife Samantha). Prior to attending law school, he worked at IBM in Research Triangle Park, where he represented the interests of IBM in the negotiation and resolution of commercial financial contract disputes. After time in the business world, Will attended Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University where he earned a Juris Doctorate while graduating with honors in the top of his class. While at Campbell, he earned Book Awards for Pre-Trial Litigation and North Carolina Motor Vehicle Law. He also received Honors Awards in Advanced Trial Advocacy.

Will and his wife Samantha, who is a Clinical Research Auditor here in the Triangle, make their home in North Raleigh along with their son, Zachary. When not in the courtroom or office, Will spends his time fishing, boating, canoeing the Neuse River, golfing, landscaping, and spending as much time as possible with good friends in coastal North Carolina.