Wade Coye

I grew up in upstate New York in a rural area on a dairy farm. As the son of fourth generation dairy farmers, I worked side-by-side with my grandfather and father, waking up early to plant crops, look after the livestock, and find solutions to problems that at the time seemed impossible. Some days we would start working before the sun came up and wouldn't stop until long after dark. Because of this, I learned the simple truths that there is reward in helping others and that you must work hard, even in the face of seemingly impossible tasks to succeed.

After high school, I attended and graduated from the State University of New York at Morrisville with an Associate of Arts degree, then proceeded to the State University of New York at Buffalo and obtained a Bachelors of Arts. I graduated from law school at the State University of New York at Buffalo, receiving a Juris Doctor, Cum Laude. I was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1989 (the District of Columbia Bar in 2008, Michigan Bar in 2015, and the New York Bar in 2015.)

After life on the farm I spent some time in politics. In the late 70's and early 80's, I served in various capacities for state, local and congressional campaigns. In Washington, D.C. I was on the staff of Hon. Gerald B. Solomon, Congressman from Glens Falls, New York. I also served on the campaign staff of Hon. George C. Wortley, Congressman from Syracuse, New York.

I am particularly proud of my military service. I served in the United States Army, Infantry, 1/41st Infantry Battalion, 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, Texas under the Command of Lt. Colonel Franklin W. Trapnell, Jr. Remarkably, thanks to the internet, even today I keep in touch with some of the men who then were a part of my everday life.

In 1991, I formed Coye Law Firm (then known as Law Office of Wade Coye) as a consumer-focused practice handling personal injury, workers' compensation, wrongful death, and insurance claims. I was an early adapter of computer technology and the Internet, appearing on one of the first national lists of lawyers using the Internet in 1994. 

I feel privileged and honored to have had the opportunity to work with clients who have received outstanding results in a variety of different types of legal cases. Cases have included successful suits against a major theme park in the Orlando area, utiltities, construction companies and major insurance carriers. My team and I have obtained million dollar recoveries in catastrophic injury cases and have successfully handled appeals to the First and Fifth District Court of Appeals, as well as the Florida Supreme Court. 

As a professional working in Central Florida, I wanted to do more to contribute to the community. It began with my decision to donate 120 "Success for Teens" books to Saints Academy Private Christian School in Orlando. This is a book that sets out to help teens establish good habits into adulthood and prepare them for college, careers, and beyond. Over the years, I've been receiving updates from the school and I couldn't be prouder of all that they have been inspired to accomplish.

They have led multiple donation drives for those affected by natural disasters and not only did they collect change to provide financial assistance to those in need, they also collected survival items. During the holiday season, their generosity didn't quit. For Thanksgiving they donated groceries to a senior living facility in Orlando and for Christmas, they were able to donate over a hundred gift bags to another local senior living and rehabilitation center filled with socks, lotion, fruit and candy. I continue to be blown away by how these books have affected these students and I'm so glad I was able to donate them.

I have also been afforded the opportunity to speak to students involved in their Operation Take Back organization. Operation Take Back works to mentor students and instills values similar to those in "Success for Teens." I'm grateful that I was able to return and continue to express my admiration for this book. We even had a discussion about their wildest dreams and once the students opened up, I was impressed by the wide variety. Each one of these students is on a path to success and I'm glad "Success for Teens" could help them along the way.

I also donated 650 copies of the same book to Evans High School in Orlando and I chose to also give them an essay writing contest. I asked them to write about their most ambitious goals and the top three essay writers were awarded scholarships. I was so impressed by their entries that I held the contest again the next year, this time asking the students to write about how the "Success for Teens" book has impacted their lives. Again, I was blown away by the submissions and I awarded three scholarships to the top essay writers.