Deborah Yates is a senior associate in the Litigation/Controversy Department, and is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Group. She joined the firm in 2007.

Practice

Ms. Yates' practice focuses on intellectual property litigation. Ms. Yates represents clients in patent infringement cases involving a range of technologies, including pharmaceuticals and computer memory devices. 

Ms. Yates represents clients litigating in the United States District Courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Her experience encompasses factual case development, pleadings, organization of document review and production, written discovery, motions practice, mediation support, mock trials and trial and appellate briefing. 

Past Experience

While in law school, Ms. Yates was a summer associate at Sallie Mae, where she worked on acquisitions, securities placements, and litigation. Ms. Yates served as a judicial intern to both the Honorable Gerald B. Lee of the Eastern District of Virginia and the Honorable Stanley P. Klein of the Fairfax County Circuit Court in Fairfax, Virginia.

Prior to attending law school, Ms. Yates spent ten years consulting to Fortune 500 companies on competitive strategy, acquisitions, and best-in-class practices. Ms. Yates then served as Chief Financial Officer for a NASDAQ-traded company before turning to the practice of law. During her non-legal career, Ms. Yates negotiated alliances, conducted equity and debt placements, and developed significant strategic plans.

Professional Activities

Ms. Yates serves on the IPO Standing Committee on Patent Law (U.S.).