The law firm Brown Rudnick made its associate Camille Vasquez a partner less than a week after she helped actor Johnny Depp win a $15 million defamation verdict against his ex-wife Amber Heard in a closely watched trial.
Vasquez became the public face of Depp’s defense team throughout the six-week trial. It was broadcasted on television, and her performance was acclaimed. The team was led by Benjamin Chew, a partner at Brown Rudnick, and had nine other lawyers on it. But Vasquez became a major player when she cross-examined Heard. She told the jury in the Closing Statement that Heard was the one who hurt him in the relationship.
In a statement released Tuesday, Brown Rudnick chairman William Baldiga said that the firm usually makes people partners when its fiscal year ends.
“But Camille’s performance at the Johnny Depp trial showed the world that she was ready to take this next step now,” he said.
Vasquez was not immediately available for comment. But later, she said in a statement that she is “delighted” to have the firm’s “full vote of confidence.”
Recruiters and consultants for law firms said it made sense for Brown Rudnick, which has 250 lawyers, to make Vasquez a partner. This is a title that usually comes with an ownership stake, more money, and more power.
Kate Reder Sheikh, a partner at the legal recruiting firm Major, Lindsey & Africa, said, “I think she would be a hot prospect after her team won the Depp case and she got a lot of attention.”
Beth Cavagnolo of law consulting firm Vertex Advisors said that Vasquez was probably already on the path to partnership and doing well enough to be given the Depp case.
“In a situation like this, there is definitely a war for talent, and I’m sure that Ms. Vasquez’s promotion was a big part of a plan to keep her.”
Vasquez joined the Orange County office of Brown Rudnick in 2018. She specializes in defamation cases where the plaintiff is at fault. She used to work at Manatt, Phelps, & Phillips as an associate.
Depp, who is 58 years old, sued Heard for $50 million. He said that she lied about him when she wrote in a newspaper opinion piece that she was “a public figure representing domestic abuse”. Depp’s lawyer said that Heard’s claims were a “hoax”. Then, Heard sued for $100 million, saying that Depp had slandered her.
On June 1, a jury gave Depp $15 million in damages from Heard. The judge cut this amount to $10.35 million so that the state’s limits on punitive damages would be met. The judge told Depp to pay Heard $2 million in compensation.
Last week, Heard’s lawyer said that she was going to appeal the jury’s decision that she had lied about someone.
