Michael Yates

Michael is an information litigator and reputation management specialist. He advises high net worth and high-profile individuals and companies on contentious information and media law issues.

He specialises in defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, harassment, blackmail, data protection, right to be forgotten and subject access requests, malicious falsehood and copyright law, as well as regulatory complaints. He regularly advises on injunctions against the media or malicious third parties, and on reporting restrictions and privacy issues in divorce, Norwich Pharmacal and coroners' proceedings. He also stops stories and unlawful disclosures and obtains apologies, damages and online takedowns.

He is ranked as a ‘Star Associate’ and an ‘Associate to Watch’ in the field of Reputation Management in Chambers & Partners and recognised as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ in Legal 500.

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Karriere

Since 2018	Senior Associate, Taylor Wessing
2017 - 2018	Associate, Taylor Wessing
2013 - 2017	Associate, Lee & Thompson

2011 - 2013	Assistant, Schillings
2009 - 2011	Trainee, Davenport Lyons
2008 - 2009	Company Secretarial Assistant, Davenport Lyons

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Ausbildung

2011	Admitted to the Bar, England, Wales
2008	LPC, BPP, Holborn
2004	LLB, Law, College London

Publikationen

Gigantic noticeboard or wall of graffiti? Online libel: are we lost in analogy?, The In-House Lawyer, 2012

Fremdsprachen

English

Expertise

Branchen Technology, Media & Communications

Referenzen

Company obtains first cyber injunction under the protection of anonymity	A UK listed company on the theft of data and subsequent ransom of the company. We obtained an injunction against the hackers (PML v Persons Unknown) for the client, which is the first time judgment has been obtained for a listed company against hackers in which anonymity was granted to the company in relation to the interim injunction and then on a permanent basis. The team co-ordinated the entire incident response, including instructing forensic IT and working heavily with UK cybercrime police.
XH v XH	Advised on obtaining an anonymization and reporting restrictions order in the family court to protect a wife and child from media intrusion following high value financial proceedings.
Various libel claims	Obtained various damages awards and apologies in settlement of libel and privacy claims and prepared for and attended four day libel trial, securing attendance of key witness.

A respondent in divorce proceedings	Obtained non-molestation undertakings requiring husband to stop threats and abuse and prevent use of proceedings as a vehicle for disclosing private information for blackmail purposes.
A high profile musician	Advised on iCloud hack and private photo leak, prevented publication in mainstream media, co-ordinated mass take downs and removed medical data from Twitter.
LJY v Persons Unknown	Obtained injunction against anonymous blackmailer in defamation, privacy and harassment, to stop the release of false criminal allegations to the media, serving the order via a series of text messages.

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Awards

Chambers High Net Worth UK 2020	Star Associate – Reputation Management: Michael Yates is praised by a commentator as "absolutely outstanding." He advises affluent clients on reputation management issues including defamation, privacy and data protection. "He looks around corners for clients and spots difficulties before they arise. He is extremely personable and he can work with any client in any situation. He is extremely smart," comments one interviewee. Another source notes: "His no-nonsense approach and the tone of the letters that he writes distinguish him from many other lawyers. He writes in a way that makes clients feel that he is acting firmly in their best interests, and the speed with which he turns letters and documents around is quite extraordinary."
Chambers UK 2020	Associate to watch - Defamation/Reputation Management: Michael Yates is a senior associate who is well regarded for his strength in advising on a range critical reputation management matters.
Chambers High Net Worth UK 2019	Associate to watch - Defamation/Reputation Management: High Net Worth
Chambers UK 2019	Associate to watch - Defamation/Reputation Management: Michael Yates is a senior associate who regularly handles defamation, privacy and data protection disputes. Sources consider him to be "extremely knowledgeable" and "highly intelligent in a very accessible way."
Legal 500 UK 2019	Next generation - Risk advisory: Reputation management: Other names to note include the ‘smart and assertive’ Michael Yates