About William
William Yates pursued a steady academic course over several decades. He earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of South Florida in 1966. He returned to school for an MBA in Finance from the University of West Florida in 1980 and later took up legal studies, receiving his J.D. from New England Law | Boston in 1994. The sequence suggests a career that evolved over time, adding professional layers rather than following a single straight path.
His early professional life included military service. He served in the United States Marine Corps and held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, a detail recorded for 1970. That experience preceded his law career and likely shaped his approach to leadership and discipline. After law school he entered private practice and allied professional organizations that matched his interests.
Yates began working as an associate attorney in 1999 at Wilkins and DeYoung. He joined professional bars the same year, becoming a member of the Massachusetts State Bar and the American Bar Association. In 2003 he became a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Five years after his associate role, he established his own practice. Since 2004 he has been principal of the Law Office of William M. Yates, running the firm and handling client matters personally.
The record of memberships sheds light on the kinds of matters he handles. His long-standing membership in the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys points to involvement in elder law and related fields such as estate planning, guardianship and public benefits for older adults. Membership in the Massachusetts State Bar and the ABA indicates continued engagement with the profession at both the state and national levels. He practices in Massachusetts and maintains those memberships as sources of professional connection and continuing education.
Colleagues and clients encounter an attorney whose résumé spans business, finance and law. The combination of a business undergraduate degree, an MBA in finance and a later law degree provides a background useful in matters that touch on financial planning, trusts and probate. His military service appears as an earlier chapter that feeds into a methodical practice style.
Today he leads the Law Office of William M. Yates in Massachusetts. He handles matters consistent with his memberships, including elder law and estate-related issues, while continuing to participate in the state and national bar organizations.
