Good luck marketing departments of law firms trying to get attention in the media. The dismissal of litigation the legal team might have obtained is likely not being noticed. Even if the head of the team is a brandname and the law firm is in the top 10.
The preoccupation has been with the lawyers on both sides in "Depp v Heard." Yes, the focus on the lawyers' performance art has been as over-the-top, just as in the OJ Simpson murder trial. For decades there will be re-runs of that "Depp v Heard" courtroom theatre in thought leadership articles, documentaries, and more. For this version of a trial of a century there are streaming and social networks.
For Johnny Depp the star players are Brown Rudnick's Benjamin Chew and Camille Vasquez. The latter, although an associate not a partner, has received more than 541.8 million page views on TikTok. As Law and More chronicles, the world has fallen in love with her aggressive objections and cross-examination. Chew, who had been with Big Law's Squire Patton Boggs, has developed a signature for his devotion to gummy bears.
For Amber Heard it's Woods Rogers' Benjamin Rottenborn. Previously with Kirkland & Ellis, Rottenborn has become infamous for screwing up. Insider gleefully notes:
" [Rottenborn] has struggled to win the popularity battle online. Early in the trial, Depp fans seized on an embarrassing slip-up that has since become the defining soundbite of the case: Rottenborn objecting to his own question while grilling Depp."
If juries are more influenced by likability versus evidence, Rottenborn might have done a disservice to this client.
This trial has been set in play by Heard's 2018 The Washington Post Op-ed on being a survivor of domestic abuse. A warning to those who really don't understand the nuances of defamation law in that op-ed Heard never mentioned Depp by name. Also, it is reported that she did seek legal advice before publishing the personal essay. Yet here we are with the a trial that has sucked up all the oxygen in not only legal but also general media.
Connect with Editor-in-Chief Jane Genova at janegenova374@gmail.com.