Key Lawyer – Reputation management: "Michael Yates gets to the nub of the issue quickly and gives clear and strategic advice. Clients adore him and feel immediately reassured by him in times of crisis. He is a delight to work with and an extremely safe pair of hands. He is unfazed by his opponents and the UHNW world in which he is operating. Michael is technically excellent and acts with integrity."
Michael is an information litigator acting for both claimants and defendants. He specialises in advising individuals and companies on reputation management, information, cyber and media law disputes.
He covers the full spectrum of contentious matters, including defamation, privacy, data protection, breach of confidence, cyber, harassment, blackmail, right to be forgotten and subject access requests, malicious falsehood and copyright law, as well as regulatory media and data complaints, reporting restrictions, NDAs, injunction and Norwich pharmacal applications and coroners proceedings.
On the claimant side, he advises on stopping or mitigating media publication, broadcast or unlawful disclosure by malicious third parties of defamatory allegations or private or confidential information and how to obtain apologies, damages, injunctions and online takedowns. On the defendant side, he advises companies on managing cyber-attacks and the fall out, as well as how to protect publishers, platforms and data controllers and processors from legal exposure. He regularly works alongside other teams at Taylor Wessing to achieve results for clients.
He is ranked as "Up and coming" in Chambers & Partners and is "Recommended" by Spears Magazine.
Gigantic noticeboard or wall of graffiti? Online libel: are we lost in analogy?, The In-House Lawyer, 2012
Key Lawyer – Reputation management: "Michael Yates gets to the nub of the issue quickly and gives clear and strategic advice. Clients adore him and feel immediately reassured by him in times of crisis. He is a delight to work with and an extremely safe pair of hands. He is unfazed by his opponents and the UHNW world in which he is operating. Michael is technically excellent and acts with integrity."
Up and coming
Defamation/Reputation Management - Up and Coming: “Michael wears his intelligence lightly. He is extremely erudite curious and an absolute pleasure to deal with in any setting.”
Defamation/Reputation Management (high net worth) - Up and Coming: Michael Yates "is very hard-working and thorough, a wise counsellor, and has a charming manner that puts clients at ease," states a source. Another adds: "Michael is a trusted colleague on all matters related to reputation and privacy protection. His calm and reassuring demeanour instantly disarms you and conveys an authority beyond his years."
Defamation/Reputation Management - Star Associate: Michael Yates is a senior associate who is well regarded for his strength in advising on a range of critical reputation management matters. His practice covers defamation, reporting restrictions and breach of confidence claims. "Michael Yates's work really impressed me."
Defamation/Reputation Management: "Michael is an absolute joy to work with. He is very likeable and equally knowledgeable, with a calm demeanour and confidence beyond his years.""He is very good at adopting the client's argument and aligning it with legislative points."
Reputation management
Leading individual adviser
Associate to watch – Reputation Management: Michael Yates is a senior associate who is well regarded for his strength in advising on a range critical reputation management matters.
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.
Associate to watch - Defamation/Reputation Management: High Net Worth
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."
Next generation - Risk advisory: Reputation management: Other names to note include the ‘smart and assertive’ Michael Yates
Reputation management
We acted for 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 was the first-time judgment had 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.
Press releaseObtained 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.
Obtained an injunction in defamation, privacy and harassment for an anonymised client to stop threats to release false allegations of a serious criminal offence to the media. The injunction was served on the blackmailer by a series of text messages.
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.
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.
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.
par Michael Yates et Andi Terziu
Ghosts in the machine? How can property companies deal with the threat of cyber security
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Cyber security 2023: key threats and challenges
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