Amber Melville-Brown

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Secretary Laura Gosheff

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Amber is a special counsel in our media and reputation team.

She is a media law specialist operating wherever there is an interface, be it welcome or unwanted, with third parties including the media, other organisations and individuals. She advises our clients in respect of reputation, brand, communication and information issues.

Amber is experienced in defamation, privacy, breach of confidence, data protection (including ‘the right to be forgotten' and voicemail interception (i.e. phone-hacking)), harassment and blackmail law, and she uses her legal acumen in conjunction with industry knowledge and experience in dealing with a range of publication, messaging and crisis management issues for our clients.

During her time as deputy head of the litigation and arbitration team, Amber assisted in the management of the department through its most significant period of growth, as it broadened its international reach and range of services. With growth now including the expansion of the media and reputation offering in America, Amber operates predominantly out of the New York office.

Amber's expertise extends well beyond black-letter law and incorporates a more holistic approach, factoring in all aspects of communications and messaging between her clients and their employees, shareholders, customers, family members and associates and other third parties, to the public at large and via the media. Alongside the firm's team, she provides a 24/7 crisis management service.

Amber studied modern languages at University College London, and English law at the College (now University) of Law in London before practicing as a media specialist lawyer for more than twenty years. However, the firm recognized the increasingly global nature of its client base and the global issues they face, and in 2018, Amber obtained an American LLM. focusing on media law from Fordham University, New York, graduating in the top 10% of her law school, magna cum laude. In Spring 2019 she was admitted as a New York attorney, having qualified at the New York Bar. Amber also attended Cornell University via eCornell, and is now certified by Cornell in PR Strategy. Core elements of the certification include Crisis Communication Planning and Communicating Planning for Change, Communicating with the Media, Strategic PR Planning and Hiring and Working with PR Agencies. This respected certification adds to Amber’s many years spent “at the coal face”, giving clients the confidence that Amber has the practical experience, and training in this area.

Amber is uniquely placed as a dual-qualified media-specialist and crisis management lawyer to offer our global clients a worldwide service.

Amber's clients cover the gamut of society, including stars of the screen, stadium and stage, heads of state, heads of business and heads of families, public figures, private individuals charities and businesses.

Amber is a prolific writer and commentator on media law and related issues: she was one of the longest standing columnists for the English professional magazine, the Law Society Gazette, and frequently contributes to the mainstream media including respected British-based publications including The Times and The Guardian, American publishers including Newsweek and USA Today, and she is a regular contributor to the respected New York State Bar Association, Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Journal.

Amber taught media law at the College of Law in London and was a visiting lecturer at the London School of Economics. Amber is globally recognized by Chambers as one of the leading lawyers in the Defamation/ Reputation Management category and has been ranked Band 1 in the US and has also been acknowledged for her expertise based abroad in the UK. Within those directories, she has been referred to as: "very supportive and extremely dedicated"; knowing " the business inside out"; “friendly and welcoming”, “incredibly sensible and practical”, “intelligent, solid, sensible and practical”, and “absolutely outstanding”.

Amber heads the firm's Giving Back branch, leading our global charitable initiatives.

Recent recognition

Amber Melville-Brown is just brilliant. She evokes confidence and safety.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2025

Amber Melville-Brown provides quick, clear, easily digestible and intelligent legal analysis on issues such as defamation, privacy and media law more broadly.

Chambers HNW Guide 2025

Amber words her letters and correspondence extremely well.

Chambers HNW Guide 2025

Amber was extremely responsive, wonderful with the client and obtained a fantastic result.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Amber has a lightnessof touch that is untypical of the legal profession.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Amber is one of the most experienced practitioners in the field.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Amber was great. She has been hugely reassuring in difficult circumstances and got the result we needed.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Amber was phenomenal to work with and made me feel supported during each step of the legal process.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Working with Amber has always been an enjoyable experience, even when the matters we were dealing with were not. I've learnt a lot from Amber and hugely value the expert advice she has provided.

CHAMBERS HNW GUIDE 2024

Reactive and robust reputational management, Invaluable guidance and support. In depth knowledge of this area of work. Early warning of possible media activity. Compassion and support on a personal level which gave me confidence.

Joy Youart - Healthcare Consultant

On the media side, which was a difficult experience, Amber Melville-Brown was brilliant. She handled the press brilliantly, extremely speedily and always professionally.

Belinda Steiner

I thank you once again for the incredible job done so far. I clearly feel it was the right thing to do, and clearly you were the right person to contact. I truly thank you and all your team for the tremendous work.

Client

Amber and her team are very responsive in demanding situations and work calmly and efficiently, with great skill and care.

General Counsel, Private Investment Office

Very good attention to detail and availability to provide input. Very good commercial knowledge of the industry.

Legal 500 UK, 2024

Amber Melville-Brown always offers high-quality, discreet advice, using her dual UK and US qualifications to help us to handle all manner of issues.

Chambers HNW, 2023

Amber Melville-Brown is very responsive, very quick to follow up and always makes herself readily available.

Chambers HNW, 2023

Amber is a trusted adviser and has the exact experience I needed for a challenging situation. Many attorneys can offer advice but few have the exact experience needed to positively impact reputational issues. I will forever be grateful for that.

Chambers HNW, 2023

She has a strong ability to clearly explain complex issues in plain English, and calmly steer clients to rational conclusions in emotional situations

Chambers HNW Guide 2022, US

She is excellent, and is building a very successful practice in the US. She is a go-to person in the US to understand British media law.

Chambers HNW Guide 2022, UK

Amber Melville-Brown is hugely incisive and clear-sighted, particularly when it comes to recognising those subtle questions of risk that are key to resolving complex and sensitive threats to reputation.

Chambers HNW Guide 2022, UK

Amber Melville-Brown is one of the most skilled defamation lawyers that I have ever had the pleasure of working with.

Chambers HNW, 2021

Amber is approachable, knowledgeable, and can translate the intricacies of UK law perfectly to US clients.

Chambers HNW, 2021

Me in a minute

Words have been the mainstay of my professional life

'Words, words, words,' answers Shakespeare's Hamlet when asked what it is that he is reading. Words have been the mainstay of my professional life: words that hurt and defame my clients; words to provide an antidote to the poison administered by an attacker, in print or online; words to litigate and negotiate; words to communicate to the public and to teach to others, my passion for media law.

Robert Browning's words have also stayed with me throughout my professional - and personal - life: 'Ah, but a man's aim should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for'. We must always strive to achieve the best, and more, for ourselves and, in my professional life, for my clients. I am deeply aware that in my line of business - where a client may be facing an unwanted expose in a national newspaper, an anonymous attack on social media, or battling against a campaign of harassment or blackmail - that it is a very stressful and distressing time, and while the legal problem must be solved, a human must at the same time be saved. I am enormously proud therefore, that clients routinely commend me for easing the burden in such potentially stressful times, for providing sensible, practical advice.

In my role as the firm's corporate social responsibility partner, I have instigated a system across the firm of charity of the year best to be able to focus the initiatives of the firm's office to various charities chosen by our offices (London/Europe; USA; and Asia). During my time, my fundraising activities have included confining myself to a wheelchair to gain first-hand experience of living with a major disability for 48 hours and was part of the firms 'Snowdon Push Challenge' team consisting of 13 Withers employees who braved Mount Snowdon having previously taken part in the gruelling 'Three Peaks' challenge.

In addition to my private practice, I have taught media law at the College of Law - which gave me such a good start in my legal career - writing and teaching its professional skills media course and becoming its external examiner for media; I have also taught media law at the London School of Economics.

I write regularly on media law issues, and this is a great passion of mine seeking to show the human face of we lawyers to the public and to present our field in an interesting, educational and entertaining way. So we come back full circle to my love of 'words, words, words' which I suspect will always remain.

Experience

Commercial litigation Crisis management Fashion High net worth individuals

Leaders and senior executives Luxury brands Sports, talent and entertainment

Track record

Media and crisis management

Friday afternoons are often the busiest in the world of crisis management. It is not unusual for reporters to call the subjects of their articles at the eleventh hour before publication, and for the Sunday papers, this can mean leaving this until late on Friday. We gear up into crisis mode at very short notice to stop the papers printing private information about our clients. While each and every time is different, media management like this is 'bread and butter' for our team.

Harrassment and blackmail in separation

Hell hath no fury like a partner scorned and our top-ranked family team are no strangers to the troubles and strife that can happen at the end of married life. It is sadly the case that we often get involved when one half of the couple launches a campaign of harassment against their former partner, or where a spurned lover resorts to blackmail.

Phone hacking cases

We are still actively pursuing phone hacking cases for our clients; naturally these remain highly confidential.

Charities' reputations

The summer of 2015 in the UK saw an out and out media attack on charities and their reputations, with a focus on ethics and transparency. Amber worked hand in hand with our leading charity team to protect the vital reputations of many of the country's biggest charities.

Sex discrimination case defamation

We worked with a high profile senior executive who found themselves unfairly smeared in a sex discrimination case. Our client was denied the opportunity to defend himself and his reputation after the claimant withdrew her case in its entirety after giving evidence. Press reports remained online impacting his personal and working life. We liaised with the various online and print publishers to fully explain the unfair particulars of the situation, and were able to negotiate a much fairer reporting of the proceedings. It was in the public interest to report this, but we ensured our client was not defamed in the process.

Pressure group campaign towards a charity

A charity client was subjected to a sustained campaign by a pressure group over a period of months. High profile members of the organisation were targeted to generate publicity in print and social media. Somewhat ironically, when the charity reasonably defended itself, the pressure group threatened defamation proceedings. We fought off this action and engaged urgently with the press to correct the incorrect allegations. We then worked with the charity post-publication on their media messaging and proactive communications strategy.

Media wedding privacy

When our client married a media darling, the press was bound to want to catch a glimpse of her, her dress, the wedding.. but the couple wanted to keep the private, family affair, just that. So we talked to the media to reach a solution that we and them would be happy with - we sent some lovely authorised shots to those titles that were keen to work with us and then moved fast to remove images from the internet that were taken with long lenses and without authority.

Proactive communications plans

As well as crisis we also develop proactive communications plans when things go well. When our clients become aware of increased media interest in their lives, it's often welcome and an exciting step, but it still should be managed and planned. We work with clients to make sure their stories are published accurately.

Talks

'Protect what you're building: Legal essentials every founder needs,' The JWE Conference 2026 - April 27, 2026, speaker
'Reputation in Jeopardy,' STEP Wyoming International Estate Planning Conference - September 20, 2024, speaker
'Legal issues faced by founders, entrepreneurs, executives and wealthy family members amid the coronavirus outbreak,' Withers webinar - April 17, 2020, speaker
'NetDiligence, privacy and the right to be forgotten in Europe', guest speaker - June 2015
Minerva, Female Focus, guest panel speaker - May 2015
Young Norwood, guest introductory speaker - November 2014
RPSCA, Brighton, Legacy Dos and Don'ts - August 2014, speaker
American Family Association Conference, New York - April 2014, speaker
Marsh Family Office Risk Seminar - November 2013, speaker
Reputation and crisis management, STEP Zurich conference - October 2013
'Reputation Matters...for Professionals', presentation to ILAS - May 2012
Family Office Conference, Handling the Media in the Family Court - January 2012
'I'm a celebrity, get me some privacy', Young Norwood - July 2010, speaker
'Steering the right course - ensuring your NHS charity is well placed to manage through challenging times', Association of NHS Charities - March 2010, speaker

Insight

20 April 2026 | Video

Navigating reputational risk in family offices

2 April 2026 | Article

What do a megastar actor and a macaque have in common? Reputation

25 March 2026 | Article

The ABC of corporate crisis response

20 March 2026 | Article

Navigating global risk in the modern family enterprise

7 May 2025 | Article

Senior executives and founders: Managing change and protecting your position

4 April 2025 | Article

Caught between the court and the court of public opinion

12 February 2024 | Article

If Cupid’s stupid, separate smart - a guide to sensible separation in the US

5 December 2023 | Article

A picture can paint a thousand libellous words

20 November 2023 | Article

With no “TKO”, it’s all systems go for Harry and his fellow claimants

4 August 2023 | Article

How memes and misjudgment impacted Barbie and Oppenheimer's reputation

27 January 2023 | Article

How safe from legal jeopardy is Prince Harry over his memoir?

6 June 2022 | Article

Depp snatches American victory from the English jaws of defeat

9 May 2022 | Article

Supporting our communities through charity partnerships

6 May 2022 | Firm news