Atlanta, GA (December 9, 2010) – John Yates, who chairs the Technology Practice at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, will chair the Development Committee for the Duke Law School Board of Visitors. In this role, he will help the law school’s dean and associate dean craft fund-raising strategies and provide leadership for ongoing development efforts.

“I am delighted John has agreed to play such an important role for Duke Law. He will provide Dean David F. Levi and me important counsel on planning, marketing, and program development, which will define our fundraising efforts in the years ahead,” said Associate Dean for Alumni and Development Jeff Coates. “John has been a wonderful supporter to the school with both his time and philanthropy, and he clearly understands the importance of charitable giving. It is a privilege to work with him to maximize our fundraising opportunities in support of the dean’s vision.”

Yates, a pioneer in the technology law field, is recognized internationally for his work. He is also a leading figure in Atlanta’s tech community. His work has been recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Atlanta SuperLawyers and the Legal 500. He also has a strong record of community leadership. He serves on the Board of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and co-chairs its Tech Leadership Council. He has spearheaded fund-raising campaigns for United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Decatur/DeKalb YMCA, Furman University and CURE Childhood Cancer. He also founded or co-founded trade organizations including the Technology Association of Georgia, the Southeastern Medical Device Association, Technology Executives Roundtable, Technology General Counsel Roundtable and the Southeastern Software Association.

He earned his law and undergraduate degrees from Duke University, where he was an Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholar. A guest lecturer at Duke, he was named to the law school’s Board of Visitors last year. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Furman University, and the Advisory Board of CURE Childhood Cancer.

About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP

Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is a full-service law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, capital markets, environmental, green industry, insurance, mergers & acquisitions and timberland & forest products practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and now an alliance with FGCN in São Paulo, Brazil.

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Media Contact: Terri Thornton, Thornton Communications (404) 932-4347

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