Coates Lear specializes in assisting companies and individuals involved in government inquiries and enforcement proceedings, especially investigations and actions by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Coates also advises on compliance matters, with a focus on asset management, and represents clients in complex litigation.



Before joining the firm, Coates spent eight years in the SEC's Division of Enforcement, where he led investigations involving a wide range of issues and conduct, including public company reporting, securities offerings, mutual fund disclosure and hedge fund management. From April 2012 to September 2015, he was a member of the Enforcement Division's Asset Management Unit, a specialized unit devoted to investigating potential securities law violations in the investment management industry. In 2014, Coates also served a short-term detail to SEC Commissioner Kara M. Stein, advising the commissioner on numerous enforcement recommendations.

Before joining the SEC, Coates litigated on behalf of companies and individuals while practicing at another global law firm, where he focused on class actions, securities litigation, white collar defense, and insurance-related matters. Coates began his legal career as a law clerk to US District Judge James R. Spencer in the Eastern District of Virginia.