About Deborah Bates
Deborah Bates Riordan trained first as a nurse and later as a lawyer. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Salem State College in 1977 and completed her Juris Doctor at Northeastern University School of Law in 1990. Those two degrees anchor a career that bridges clinical practice and legal work.
Her legal career began in the mid-1990s. In 1995 she started operating as the Law Office of Deborah Bates Riordan. Four years later she became managing partner at Bates & Riordan, LLP, a role she has held since 1999. The move to a partnership formalized a small practice that had already been shaped by her dual training.
Riordan is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and has maintained membership in the Massachusetts State Bar since 1990. She also holds active registration as a nurse with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing, a credential she has kept since 1977. In addition to those registrations, she is commissioned as a Notary Public by the Massachusetts Secretary of State. Locally, she participates in the Norfolk County Bar Association.
Her background in both nursing and law informs how she approaches cases. Clinical experience gives her direct understanding of health care settings and patient care issues. Legal training provides the framework for handling civil matters, regulatory questions and licensing concerns. Colleagues describe her as someone who draws on practical clinical knowledge when addressing legal problems that touch on health care, professional standards and administrative processes.
Over the years Riordan has combined private practice routines with the administrative responsibilities that come with managing a firm. As managing partner she has overseen case management and the day-to-day operations of Bates & Riordan, LLP while continuing to represent clients. The practice reflects a steady presence in Massachusetts law and an ongoing link to health care through her nursing registration.
She continues to practice at Bates & Riordan, LLP, where she handles matters that involve health care regulation, professional licensing and related civil issues.
