Camille Vasquez

Camille Vasquez
Born (1984-07-06) July 6, 1984 (age 40)[1]
San Francisco, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Southern California (BA)
Southwestern Law School (JD)
OccupationAttorney
EmployerSheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
Known forRepresenting Johnny Depp in Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard

Camille Vasquez (born July 6, 1984) is an American attorney known for representing actor Johnny Depp in the defamation case that he brought against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Early life and education

Vasquez was born in San Francisco, California, to a Colombian father and a Cuban mother.[1][2][3] While attending the University of Southern California, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, Gamma Sigma Alpha, and the Order of Omega, in addition to being admitted into the Skull and Dagger honor society during her senior year.[4] She graduated magna cum laude from USC in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication and political science. She received her Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in 2010.[2][5]

Career

Vasquez's legal career has focused on litigation and arbitration, particularly in the representation of plaintiffs in defamation litigation.[2] In 2018, she joined the international law firm Brown Rudnick as an associate,[6] practicing in its Southern California office.[7][8] Vasquez represented Johnny Depp in cases against his former attorney and business manager and then in his defamation suit against his ex-wife Amber Heard.[9] She also represented Depp in a personal injury lawsuit filed against him that was settled outside of court.[10] Other clients she has represented include Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Jennifer Lopez.[11]

Vasquez represented Depp in the Depp v. Heard trial.[12][13][14] The trial was livestreamed, receiving widespread viewership around the world.[5] As a result, Google Trends noted a significant surge in searches of her name,[15] and a hashtag of her name received over 980 million impressions on the video-sharing platform TikTok.[9] Vogue called her an "overnight celebrity" as a consequence of the trial.[16] Following the trial, Vasquez was promoted from associate to partner at her firm, Brown Rudnick.[17]

In October 2022, Vasquez was part of a team at Brown Rudnick hired by Kanye West to provide legal counsel on his business interests.[18] However, following West's refusal to retract his anti-Semitic remarks, the collaboration was dissolved.[19]

In January 2023, she was hired by NBC News as a legal analyst.[20] In May 2023, Vasquez confirmed that she had been hired by Mexican singer Gloria Trevi to represent her in two civil lawsuits filed by two women on December 30, 2022, in California.[21][22][23]

In August 2024, it was reported that Vasquez has joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton,[24] working on brand reputation and defamation cases, with Danny Elfman as one of the team's clients.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ a b Cifuentes, Nora (June 7, 2022). "Camille Vasquez, la abogada estrella que atrae a Hollywood". El Nuevo Herald (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Debusmann Jr., Bernd (May 21, 2022). "Camille Vasquez: Johnny Depp's lawyer becomes an internet celebrity". BBC. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  3. ^ "Camille Vasquez: Law, Camera, Action". Hispanic Executive. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  4. ^ "Skull and Dagger: The Secret History of a Secret Society" (PDF). Skull and Dagger Society. 2006. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Bhagchandani, Umesh (May 20, 2022). "Meet Camille Vasquez, Johnny Depp's feisty lawyer: the legal mastermind is a fan favourite after her Amber Heard 'objection' video went viral – but is she really dating her famous client?". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  6. ^ Gómez, Shirley (June 21, 2022). "Camille Vasquez: the successful Hollywood lawyer paving the way for the new generation of Latinas". ¡Hola!. Archived from the original on July 8, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Della Cava, Marco (May 25, 2022). "Who is Camille Vasquez? Johnny Depp's internet-famous lawyer is inspiring Latina admirers". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Love, Bruce (May 25, 2022). "How Johnny Depp's Brown Rudnick Lawyer Moved Into the Spotlight". Law.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Lawrence, Andrew (May 21, 2022). "Move over Johnny Depp as his lawyer Camille Vasquez gets her own fanbase". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  10. ^ O'Connell, Oliver (June 15, 2022). "Camille Vasquez to defend Johnny Depp over allegation he assaulted film crew member". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  11. ^ Montalván, Karla (June 2, 2022). "How Camille Vasquez Led Johnny Depp to Victory". People en Español (in Spanish). Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  12. ^ Michallon, Clémence (May 21, 2022). "What lawyers say about Johnny Depp attorney Camille Vasquez's cross-examination of Amber Heard". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  13. ^ Southern, Keiran (May 21, 2022). "Johnny Depp's lawyer, Camille Vasquez, takes starring role". The Times. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  14. ^ Respers France, Lisa (May 19, 2022). "Camille Vasquez takes center stage in Depp/Heard trial". CNN. Archived from the original on May 21, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  15. ^ Michallon, Clémence (May 25, 2022). "Fan pages, video tributes, and romance rumors: How Johnny Depp's fandom turned its focus to his lawyer". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  16. ^ Hess, Liam (June 1, 2022). "The Depp v. Heard Jury Finds Amber Heard Guilty of Defamation". Vogue. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  17. ^ Sloan, Karen (June 7, 2022). "Johnny Depp lawyer is fast-tracked to partner after Heard trial win". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022. Law firm Brown Rudnick has promoted its associate Camille Vasquez to partner, less than a week after she helped actor Johnny Depp secure a $15 million jury verdict in his closely watched defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
  18. ^ Howard, Tre'Vaughn (October 21, 2022). "Kanye West to receive legal counsel from lawyer behind Johnny Depp defamation trial win". CBS News. Archived from the original on October 23, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  19. ^ Saad, Nardine (October 24, 2022). "Camille Vasquez and her law firm reportedly aren't representing Kanye West anymore". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  20. ^ Weprin, Alex (January 9, 2023). "Camille Vasquez, Attorney for Johnny Depp in Defamation Trial, Lands TV Gig With NBC News". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  21. ^ "La exabogada de Johnny Depp defenderá a Gloria Trevi en demanda por abuso y explotación". Telemundo 52 (in Spanish). June 8, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  22. ^ Hansen, Lena (May 30, 2023). "Camille Vásquez, quien fue abogada de Johnny Depp, defenderá a la cantante Gloria Trevi". People en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  23. ^ Fernández, Javier A. (June 19, 2023). "Gloria Trevi: 'I was unfairly punished, but that has made me stronger'". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  24. ^ "Sheppard Mullin Lures Renowned Trial Lawyer Camille Vasquez and Brand Reputation Team". www.sheppardmullin.com. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  25. ^ Kuznikov, Selena (August 13, 2024). "Attorney Camille Vasquez, Who Worked on Johnny Depp Trial, Joins Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton". Variety. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Camille M. Vasquez". www.sheppardmullin.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.