William E. Bill Whitfield

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

3.0 (1 reviews)

Gulfport, Mississippi

43+ years experience

Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush PA

Updated: Dec 30, 2025

Contact Information

228-863-6101

https://www.copelandcook.com/attorney/william-e-whitfield-iii/

200 East Beach Boulevard, Building Five, P.O. Box 10, Gulfport, MS 39507

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Bio

GENERALWilliam Earnest Whitfield, III2449 Summerwood Circle (Home)Gulfport, MS 39507(228) 896-6933Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A. (Office)2781 C.T. Switzer Sr. Drive, Suite 200Biloxi, Mississippi 39531P.O. Box 10Gulfport, Mississippi 39502228.863.6101 (Switchboard)228.867.0827 (Direct/Secretary)FAMILYWife - Anita Robertson Whitfield (married in 1979)Children: Stacey R. Whitfield (20)W. E. Whitfield IV (16)W. M. Whitfield (11)EDUCATIONUniversity of Mobile - B.A. (History-Division Award) 1977Mississippi College School of Law - JD 1981PUBLICATIONSMississippi College Law Review, Mississippi College School of Law - Spring 1992"Mississippi Medical Privilege: Blessing or Curse"The Profile-Mississippi Association of Legal Secretaries - Spring 1994"Conflicts of Law"Crowd Management - October/December 1996"Legal Liability in Crowd Management"The MDLA Quarterly (December 2003)"Fictitious Parties and Amendments Joining a Party under Mississippi Civil Procedure Rule 9(h) and 15(c)"The MDLA Quarterly (March 2004)"Automatic Liability of Insurance Carriers for Excess Judgments? The Real Meaning of Home v. Miss. Ins. Guaranty Association"The MDLA Quarterly (Winter 2005)"Katrina: The Face Only a Mother Could Love"The MDLA Quarterly (Summer 2007)"Federal Court Predicts Mississippi Supreme Court Would Adopt a ‘Continuous Trigger’ Theory in Context of Damage Caused by Faulty Construction Work"The MDLA Quarterly (Spring 2008)"Fictitious Parties and Amendments Joining a Party under Mississippi Civil Procedure Rule 9(h) and 15 - Revisited"HONORSUniversity of Mobile - Division Award in History (1977)Mississippi College School of Law - Law Review (1978-1980)Associate Staff Member (1978-1979)Executive Editor (1979-1980)Am Jur Award in Trusts (1979)Mississippi College School of Law - Honor CouncilMember - Justice (1978-1979)Chief Justice (1979-1980)Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity - President (1978-1979)Outstanding Young Men of America (1980 and 1983)Harrison County Young Lawyers - President (1988-1989)University if Mobile - Alumni of the Year Award (1995)Gulf Coast Association of Legal Support Professionals - Boss of the Year (2009)Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association (MDLA)Board of Directors (2000-2003)Officer - Secretary/Treasurer (2003-2005)President Elect (2005-2006)President (2006-2007)Editorial Board (2008-2009)Defense Research Institute (DRI)State Representative (2007-2009)Exceptional Service Award (2006)Martindale Hubbell (National Directory of Lawyers) - AV RatedBest Lawyers in America (2006-2008)- AV RatedBest Lawyers in America (2006-2008)Madisons’ Who’s Who (2007)Gulf Coast Assoc. Legal Support Professionals"Boss of the Year" (2009)PROFESSIONAL ADMISSIONSAlabama State Bar Association - 1981(Supreme Court Admission)Mississippi State Bar Association - 1982(Supreme Court Admission)United States Supreme Court - 1998Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals - 1984U.S. District Court/Southern District of Mississippi - 1983U.S. District Court/Southern District of Alabama - 1991(Also member of the Bar of the U.S. District Courts: Middle District Alabama; Northern District of Alabama; Northern District of Mississippi)LAW PRACTICEUnited States District Court Law Clerk 1981-1983 (Magistrate John M. Roper)Biloxi, MississippiBryant Dukes & Blakeslee Associate 1983-1987Gulfport, Mississippi Partner 1987-2008Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A.(successor to Bryant Dukes & Blakeslee)Gulfport, Mississippi Shareholder 2008-Present GENERALWilliam Earnest Whitfield, III2449 Summerwood Circle (Home)Gulfport, MS 39507(228) 896-6933Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A. (Office)2781 C.T. Whitfield (20)W. E. Whitfield IV (16)W. The Real Meaning of Home v. Miss. Ins. Guaranty Association"The MDLA Quarterly (Winter 2005)"Katrina: The Face Only a Mother Could Love"The MDLA Quarterly (Summer 2007)"Federal Court Predicts Mississippi Supreme Court Would Adopt a ‘Continuous Trigger’ Theory in Context of Damage Caused by Faulty Construction Work"The MDLA Quarterly (Spring 2008)"Fictitious Parties and Amendments Joining a Party under Mississippi Civil Procedure Rule 9(h) and 15 - Revisited"HONORSUniversity of Mobile - Division Award in History (1977)Mississippi College School of Law - Law Review (1978-1980)Associate Staff Member (1978-1979)Executive Editor (1979-1980)Am Jur Award in Trusts (1979)Mississippi College School of Law - Honor CouncilMember - Justice (1978-1979)Chief Justice (1979-1980)Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity - President (1978-1979)Outstanding Young Men of America (1980 and 1983)Harrison County Young Lawyers - President (1988-1989)University if Mobile - Alumni of the Year Award (1995)Gulf Coast Association of Legal Support Professionals - Boss of the Year (2009)Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association (MDLA)Board of Directors (2000-2003)Officer - Secretary/Treasurer (2003-2005)President Elect (2005-2006)President (2006-2007)Editorial Board (2008-2009)Defense Research Institute (DRI)State Representative (2007-2009)Exceptional Service Award (2006)Martindale Hubbell (National Directory of Lawyers) - AV RatedBest Lawyers in America (2006-2008)- AV RatedBest Lawyers in America (2006-2008)Madisons’ Who’s Who (2007)Gulf Coast Assoc. Legal Support Professionals"Boss of the Year" (2009)PROFESSIONAL ADMISSIONSAlabama State Bar Association - 1981(Supreme Court Admission)Mississippi State Bar Association - 1982(Supreme Court Admission)United States Supreme Court - 1998Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals - 1984U.S. District Court/Southern District of Mississippi - 1983U.S. (Office) 2781 C.T. Switzer Sr. Drive, Suite 200 Biloxi, Mississippi 39531 P.O. Box 10 Gulfport, Mississippi 39502 228.863.6101 (Switchboard) 228.867.0827 (Direct/Secretary)FAMILY Wife - Anita Robertson Whitfield (married in 1979) Children: Stacey R. Whitfield (20) W. E. Whitfield IV (16) W. M. Whitfield (11) EDUCATIONUniversity of Mobile - B.A. District Court/Southern District of Mississippi - 1983 U.S. District Court/Southern District of Alabama - 1991 (Also member of the Bar of the U.S. District Courts: Middle District Alabama; Northern District of Alabama; Northern District of Mississippi) LAW PRACTICE United States District Court Law Clerk 1981-1983 (Magistrate John M. Roper) Biloxi, Mississippi Bryant Dukes & Blakeslee Associate 1983-1987 Gulfport, Mississippi Partner 1987-2008 Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A. (successor to Bryant Dukes & Blakeslee) Gulfport, Mississippi Shareholder 2008-Present

Practice Areas

Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Awards & Recognition

Lawyer of the Year: Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants, Gulfport (2016)
Recognized: Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Practice Area: Personal Injury Litigation
Special Focus: Civil Litigation
Special Focus: Insurance
Special Focus: Medical Malpractice
Special Focus: Nursing Homes
Special Focus: Premises Liability
Special Focus: Product Liability
Special Focus: Professional Malpractice
Special Focus: Wrongful Death

Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2007

Education

Mississippi College, J.D., graduated 1982

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Reviews

Gregory Cook

2 weeks ago

Competent but Could Improve Communication

Mr. Whitfield has a strong background in personal injury defense, and it showed in how he handled my case. His 43 years of experience were evident in his strategic advice, especially when negotiating with the opposing party. However, I found the communication to be somewhat inconsistent—sometimes responses were prompt, other times it felt like I was waiting days for updates. The resolution was fair, but I expected a bit more proactive engagement from someone of his caliber. His recognition as a top lawyer in the field was clear, but the client experience could be polished. For straightforward cases, he’s solid, but I’d suggest managing expectations on responsiveness.