About Us

WHO WE ARE

In the 1970’s, Wade Copeland and Kent Stair joined a small up-and-coming insurance defense firm in downtown Atlanta. Fred Valz and Gary Lovell connected with the firm in the 1980’s. Their skills as trial attorneys and mentors established a leading civil litigation firm that is now known as Copeland, Stair, Valz & Lovell, LLP.

Over the course of more than 50 years, the firm has experienced tremendous growth; expanding its footprint in Georgia and opening offices in South Carolina and Tennessee. Drawing from extensive experience in thousands of cases and hundreds of jury trials, Copeland, Stair, Valz & Lovell has remained committed to building the next generation of lawyers. Lawyers focused on achieving client objectives in an efficient and cost-effective manner, while upholding the high principles of the partners memorialized in the firm’s name.

Copeland, Stair, Valz & Lovell is proud of their many attorneys. They have been recognized with AV Preeminent and Client Champion ratings by Martindale-Hubbel and are affiliated with many national and honorary organizations. These include the American College of Trial Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates, Litigation Counsel of America, Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel, ClaimsXChange, National Retail and Restaurant Defense Association, Rising Insurance Star Executives, Defense Research Institute, Themis Advocates Group, Trucking Industry Defense Association, and the International Association of Defense Counsel. Our attorneys also are part of many local, charitable, civic and educational organizations and actively support federal, state and local bar associations.

    COMMUNITY

    In addition to serving our clients’ needs, CSVL is committed to serving the community in which we work and live. We support our team’s involvement in individual volunteer and philanthropic efforts through various community organizations. The CSVL Community Engagement Committee further encourages our team’s commitment to the community by organizing and participating in quarterly projects aimed at meeting the area’s needs.

    DIVERSITY

    At Copeland, Stair, Valz & Lovell (“CSVL”), we genuinely believe diversity and inclusion are foundational to our firm’s success. Our firm actively cultivates an inclusive environment through numerous measures. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

    • Developing new strategies to nurture a welcoming environment
    • Supporting membership in diversity and inclusion organizations
    • Working on diversity and inclusion internal training
    • Presenting at conferences on diversity and inclusion
    • Offering flexible work hours to accommodate various phases of life
    • Creating an internship program to support all law students

    Attracting and retaining a variety of  professionals from a variety of backgrounds is important for our continued progress. We actively recruit and welcome people from all backgrounds to join our talented team, and we have an establiched associate mentoring program matching associates with more senior attorneys to facilitate an open dialogue about our similarities and differences. Moreover, our firm is proud to have a significant number of attorneys who are females and people from diverse backgrounds in leadership roles. Additionally, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is comprised of several attorneys who not only originate from diverse backgrounds but who also represent each of our offices across the southeast.

    We are passionate about supporting every individual who joins our firm, ensuring everyone feels seen, heard, and respected. Inclusivity not only aids our firm’s culture but strongly unites us with the many individuals who interact with our firm. Our diverse backgrounds also allow us to offer unique ideas, strategies, and perspectives to our clients.

    As we continue to grow and evolve, CSVL understands our diversity initiatives need to keep pace in a thoughtful and meaningful way. So, CSVL is committed to continuously fostering its’ unique and multifaceted culture.

    CSVL Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Members:

    ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL

    Managing Partner – Douglas W. MacKelcan
    Talent Partner – Melissa L. Bailey
    Finance Partner – Lee C. Weatherly
    Strategic Planning Partners – D. Gary Lovell, Jr. and Angela C. Kopet
    Office Administrators – Jade K. White and Robert A. Petit