March 29, 2022

Doug Bates: An Advocate For Financial Literacy

Photo courtesy of Tony Giberson/tgiberson@pnj.com

PENSACOLA, FL – 

There are 67 counties in the state of Florida and all of them have high schools, and now, all those high schools are going to be teaching financial literacy to students who will hopefully grow up in the state of Florida and stay in the state of Florida and have a positive impact on the state of Florida in ways we don’t even know….This bill is going to lay groundwork for them to be well-educated in personal finance.

As a business litigation and bankruptcy attorney, Clark Partington shareholder Doug Bates’ affinity for making sense of numbers is crucial to his success as a lawyer. Throughout his practice, Doug has witnessed, firsthand, the impact that financial literacy education has on young adults, families and businesses alike; so it comes as no surprise that he was thrilled last week when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 1054, the “Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act,” into law, mandating that all Florida high schools students take financial literacy and money management courses before graduation. For many years, Doug has advocated for teaching financial literacy in public schools via his active membership in The Florida Bar Business Law Section, for which he currently serves as Chair-Elect. The Business Law Section’s continued advocacy efforts were recently highlighted in a Pensacola News Journal article, which may be found here: Link to PDF of the PNJ article and Link to the PNJ article

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About Doug:

Doug Bates’ practice is focused on commercial and real estate litigation, with a large focus on bankruptcy and creditors’ rights cases.  He has handled insolvency matters, distressed business situations, and special asset cases across the state of Florida and the United States.

In addition to being selected to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite and Florida Super Lawyers, Doug is a member of the Clark Partington bankruptcy team that received recognition by Best Law Firms as Metropolitan Tier 1 firm in Bankruptcy & Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency & Reorganization in 2021. He is Chair-Elect of the Business Law Section of The Florida Bar, and was named the Section’s 2019 Member of the Year.  He also serves as Treasurer on the Section’s Executive Council, as well as being a member of several substantive committees. Doug is the immediate past President of Pensacola State College Foundation Board of Governors, President-Elect of Pensacola Sports Board of Directors, and stays active in numerous other local, statewide, and national organizations.

About Clark Partington:

Clark Partington is the largest business focused firm in the Florida panhandle with offices in Pensacola, Destin, Grayton Beach & Tallahassee.  The firm also maintains a presence in South Alabama with an Orange Beach office.  Since 1976 Clark Partington has grown to over forty lawyers serving the people and businesses of Florida through an innovative and collaborative approach to practicing law.  Our lawyers are consistently recognized for their service to the profession and excellence in the courtroom.  More information about the firm’s practice, its attorneys, and recognitions may be found at www.clarkpartington.com.