Senior Counsel with The Blum Firm, P.C. since January, 2016.  Prior to joining The Blum Firm P.C., he was a Partner and Senior Counsel with Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P. since 1966. The focus of his practice is in the areas of taxation, trusts and estates and closely held businesses. Includes preparation of estate plans, probate and administrative proceedings, planning for closely held businesses and legislative activities in connection with estate and gift taxation. Also, foundations, pension and retirement plans, insurance, real estate and income tax planning for individuals and closely held corporations and tax controversy. Mr. Copley has also assisted many national insurance agencies in expanding the scope of their operations in the state of Texas. Mr. Copley serves as Senior Counsel to the O'Donnell Foundation.

Related Business Experience

Attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., Antitrust Division, 1960-1962. (review of potential mergers to evaluate their competitive effect; investigation of trade practices to assess any monopolistic effect; second chair in the Penn Olin Chemical case which challenged the anti-competitive effects of a joint venture between two potential competitors.) After transferring to the Tax Section of the Department of Justice from 1962-1966, and while based in Washington, D.C. (and later Texas), Mr. Copley served in the Refund Litigation Section, handling jury cases and non-jury cases in Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. The issues involved, for example, estate tax, corporate tax, gift tax, valuation and fraud.

Mr. Copley also served as special counsel to the State of Ohio, relating to investments in Texas.

Professional Organizations

American Bar Association

American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, Fellow

Dallas Bar Association, Charter Fellow

Dallas Bar Association, Tax Section, Past President

Dallas Estate Planning Council, Past President

District of Columbia Bar (inactive)

International Academy of Estate and Trust Law

State Bar of Texas

Texas Bar Foundation, Life Fellow

Community Organizations

Economic Development Investors, Greater Dallas Chamber

Salesmanship Club of Dallas

Southern Methodist University, Board of Visitors

Southern Methodist University Law Alumni Association, Past President

Social Organizations

Dallas Club, Past President

Dallas Country Club

Petroleum Club, past member

Educational History

J.D., Southern Methodist University, 1960

Editor-in-Chief of Southwestern Law Journal

B.A., Southern Methodist University, 1957

Military Background

Captain, JAGC, USAR (Resigned)