Allen Yates

Georgia’s Rights Restoration Attorney Most people don’t realize how much a criminal record from their past is still costing them — until they can’t get bonded, can’t pass a background check, or walk into a gun store and get denied. Allen Yates has spent 17 years helping people fix that. Allen is one of Georgia’s most experienced rights restoration attorneys, with a practice built entirely around clearing records and restoring what was lost. His firm handles pardons before the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, gun rights restoration at both the state and federal level, retroactive first offender petitions, and records restriction and sealing under Georgia law. He and his team have restored the rights of more than 500 Georgians — from business owners who needed a clean background check to fathers who wanted to take their sons hunting again. Allen’s approach is straightforward: understand the client’s situation, confirm eligibility, build a compelling case, and guide it through the system. He works directly with the State Board of Pardons and Paroles on pardon applications and firearm rights petitions, files retroactive first offender motions in courts across the state, and pursues federal gun rights restoration for clients whose cases require it. His clients don’t just get legal representation — they get someone who knows the process inside and out because he does this every day. A graduate of Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering and Georgia State University College of Law, Allen brings an analytical, results-driven mindset to every case. He’s been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star every year since 2015 and holds a perfect 10.0 rating on Avvo. He is admitted to practice before the Georgia Supreme Court, Georgia Court of Appeals, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Supreme Court. He is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the State Bar of Alabama, and the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. Outside the office, Allen is a golfer, mountain biker, and father of three. He lives in Georgia with his wife, Kirsten.