Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates is a partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters and Government Investigations practice. Yates’s deep experience, leadership and wide-ranging background provide clients with seasoned judgment in difficult times. Her practice focuses on counseling clients in complex and sensitive matters, including government enforcement and regulatory matters, compliance, corporate governance and crisis management. Drawing upon her nearly three decades at the Department of Justice, she specializes in internal and independent investigations for public and private organizations and boards.
As the second-highest ranking official at the U.S. Department of Justice (D.O.J.) and as acting attorney general, Yates was responsible for all of D.O.J.’s 113,000 employees including all prosecutorial, litigating and national security components. She also was responsible for all U.S. attorney’s offices and law enforcement agencies and the Bureau of Prisons. Yates oversaw D.O.J.’s most significant matters and was instrumental in setting D.O.J.’s enforcement priorities and initiatives.
Known for her lifelong, nonpartisan focus on public corruption, Yates is recognized worldwide for her integrity and credibility. An accomplished trial lawyer and fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers, she has tried numerous high-profile cases.
A 27-year veteran of D.O.J., Yates rose through the ranks of assistant United States attorneys to become U.S. attorney in Atlanta, deputy attorney general and acting attorney general. As deputy attorney general from 2015 through 2017, she was responsible for crafting and implementing initiatives focused on many of D.O.J.’s priorities, including corporate fraud, cybercrime, gang violence, civil rights and financial crime. She led D.O.J.’s criminal justice reform efforts and implemented substantial prison reform measures.
Prior to becoming deputy attorney general, Yates was the first woman to serve as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. During her five years as the chief federal law enforcement official for the district, she oversaw the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of civil matters and immediately became a leader in the department as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which guides D.O.J.’s strategies and policy decisions.
She has tried numerous white collar and public corruption cases, and she was the lead prosecutor of Olympic bomber Eric Rudolph.
Before entering government service, Yates practiced as a civil litigation associate at King & Spalding. She has served as a visiting distinguished lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center and a frequent speaker on a variety of public policy issues.