[1] Prior to his appointment, Justice Yates practised as a Senior Counsel in Sydney.
Justice Yates graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Laws.
In that year, he undertook his practical legal training at the College of Law, St Leonards and commenced practice as a solicitor with Sly & Russell in Sydney.
While at the bar, Justice Yates worked actively in intellectual property, being a member of the Intellectual Property Committee of the Law Council of Australia, heading the Intellectual Property Section of the New South Wales Bar Association, and being a member of the New South Wales Committee of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand.
[2] In 2016, Justice Yates was appointed as a Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal.