Camille Vasquez has been elevated to partner at her firm Brown Rudnick following the key role she played as a member of Johnny Depp’s legal team during the defamation trial against Amber Heard.
Ms Vasquez became one of several unexpected celebrities at the trial through her tough cross-examination of witnesses and frequent objections to defence counsel questions.
She sparred with Ms Heard in the the final day of testimony, challenging her about her claims of domestic abuse and alleged tipping off of entertainment site TMZ.
Mr Depp’s fanbase was quick to embrace her with fan pages, video tributes, romance rumours (which she laughed off), and even a tattoo.
Speaking outside the Fairfax County courthouse following the verdict, Ms Vasquez said: “Today’s verdict confirms what we have said from the beginning – that the claims against Johnny Depp are defamatory and unsupported by any evidence.”
She added: “We are grateful, so grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation.”
Announcing the news of her promotion a week after the verdict came down, Brown Rudnick’s chairman and CEO William Baldiga said: “We are delighted to welcome Camille to the partnership.
“Historically, we have reserved this announcement for the end of our fiscal year. But Camille’s performance during the Johnny Depp trial proved to the world that she was ready to take this next step now. We are incredibly proud of her and look forward to what she will accomplish as our newest partner.”
Ms Vasquez stated: “I am delighted that Brown Rudnick has given me its full vote of confidence by having me join the partnership. I’m proud of the uniquely talented team I’ve had the privilege to lead, which exemplified teamwork and collaboration, and I look forward to continuing to represent Brown Rudnick’s culture of excellence.”
A 2010 graduate of Southwestern Law School, Ms Vasquez received her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Southern California in 2006.
She joined Brown Rudnick’s Orange County office in 2018 as an associate in the litigation and arbitration department and has more than a decade of experience in high-stakes disputes including defamation cases, contract disputes, business-related torts, and employment-related claims.
