Unless you’ve been living completely off the grid, you probably learned about Johnny Depp’s victorious defamation lawsuit he brought against his ex, Amber Heard. The Captain Jack Sparrow actor was awarded a whopping $15 million, and, shockingly, Amber Heard wasn’t thrilled about the outcome. Heard has been preparing to request a mistrial, due to an alleged fake juror and much more.
It seems like the Aquaman actor is going for a different strategy this time, as TMZ reports that she has gotten a new legal team to help her out for a second go around. Heard has gotten rid of Elaine Bredehoft, a key attorney on her team, and is bringing in the law firm Ballard Spahr.
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The firm will help Heard as she goes to an appellate court after appealing the verdict. The lead attorneys for the actor are now David L. Axelrod (not Obama’s right hand man) and Jay Ward Brown. The men’s specialty lies in the First Amendment. The two made their name defending the New York Times against a defamation suit filed by Sarah Palin.
Ben Rottenborn will be remaining on Heard’s team as Bredehoft steps down. Her exit has not been explained, but Bredehoft did say that it makes sense for her to “pass the baton.” Meanwhile, Axelrod and Brown are ready to take on the case. In a statement, the two said, “We welcome the opportunity to represent Ms. Heard in this appeal as it is a case with important First Amendment implications for every American.” They also noted that they are confident in Heard’s chances to overrule the previous verdict.
[via]