Company
Position
Partner
Index
Reputation & Privacy Lawyers
Location
London
Advice type
Crisis management
Legal - Dispute resolution
Legal - Reputation
Social media
Client type
High-profile clients
HNW
International UHNWs
UHNW
Sector Focus
Internet & Media
Legal Advisory Services
Michael Yates
Spear’s Review
Harbottle & Lewis partner Michael Yates is a specialist across a range of contentious reputational matters, and has a strongly international practice with a client base that includes influential Middle Eastern families.
Yates is skilled at obtaining injunctive relief, stopping stories from being published in the press and removing content through tact rather than aggression. He has obtained many apologies, damages, takedowns and corrections for high-profile HNWs.
A memorable case was the landmark privacy injunction ERY v Associated Newspapers Ltd [2016], which added weight to the premise that a criminal investigation of an individual can be considered to be private information – hence protectable.
His profile continues to rise: Harbottle & Lewis recorded its strongest-ever financial performance in 2025, with revenue and profit reaching new highs.
Top Recommended 2026, Reputation & Privacy Lawyers