Leighton Yates was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in corporate law from 1995 through 2018, and was Best Lawyers' Orlando Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2010 and 2018.
ORLANDO, FL, September 28, 2018 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Leighton Yates, Jr., Esq. with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Yates celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Now retired, Mr. Yates was a partner in the Orlando office of Holland & Knight LLP from 1998 until 2018. From 2005 until 2016, he served as co-leader of the firm's 75-lawyer Mergers and Acquisitions National Practice Group. He began his professional career in 1974 as an associate at Maguire, Voorhis & Wells, P.A. before being promoted to shareholder in 1978 and to department chairman in 1985. From 1985 to 2004, Mr. Yates served on the board of directors of Hubbard Construction Company, Florida's largest heavy construction company, and from 1999 to 2004, on the board of its affiliate, Blythe Construction, Inc., the third largest heavy construction company in the Carolinas. From 1990 to 2015, he was an administrative director of SunTrust Bank of Orlando.
Mr. Yates earned a Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in 1968. After military service as an Army infantry officer, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, he obtained his law degree with high honors from the University of Florida in December of 1973 and was admitted to The Florida Bar in May of 1974. In law school, he was an executive editor of the University of Florida Law Review and was admitted to the Order of the Coif, Phi Kappa Phi, and Omicron Delta Kappa honorary organizations.
Throughout his career, Mr. Yates devoted time to a number of community organizations. From 1976 until 2010, he was a director of Florida's Blood Centers, Inc., the South's largest blood bank, including 15 years as chairman and 15 years as vice chairman. Other civic organizations he has served include the Orlando Opera Company as chairman, president, and director, the Camaraderie Foundation, Inc. as chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and director, and the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission as director. Mr. Yates also has engaged in bar work, including eight years as a member of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, the licensing board for Florida lawyers, and terms as chair and vice chair of that board. Recognition received for his community work includes his being named Director of the Year by the Florida Association of Blood Banks, his being designated a Veteran of Influence by the Orlando Business Journal, and his receiving the Patrick Henry Award for distinguished public service from Hampden-Sydney College, his alma mater.
Mr. Yates has received substantial professional recognition. From 1995 through 2018 he was listed in The Best Lawyers in America in corporate law, and was Best Lawyers' Orlando Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2010 and 2018. He was listed in the Florida Trend Legal Elite from 2007 through 2017, and was admitted to the Florida Trend Legal Elite Hall of Fame in 2015 through 2017. Mr. Yates was listed in Florida Super Lawyers from 2006 through 2017 and the Legal 500 USA in 2017. He was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in 1996 and in 2006 became a Life Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Mr. Yates is listed in several editions of Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, and Who's Who in the South and Southwest.
In recognition of outstanding contributions to his profession and the Marquis Who's Who community, Leighton Yates, Jr., Esq. has been featured on the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement website. Please visit www.ltachievers.com for more information about this honor.
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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