Amber Melville-Brown
Partner
Amber is a partner in our media and reputation team.
She is a media law specialist operating wherever there is an interface, be it welcome or unwanted, with the media or other organisations and individuals, where she works to protect the reputation and brand, privacy and confidential information of our clients, advising on: defamation, data protection (including ‘the right to be forgotten’ and voicemail interception (i.e. phone-hacking)), harassment and blackmail. She is experienced in making applications for interim injunctive relief where necessary and assists clients through pre and post-publication situations, in negotiation and litigation.
In Spring 2019, Amber was admitted as a New York attorney, having qualified at the New York Bar and obtaining a Masters in US law, specializing in media law and graduating in the top 10% of her law school, magna cum laude. Amber is uniquely placed as a dual-qualified media-specialist and crisis management lawyer, able to practice in both the courts of England and Wales, and New York, to offer our global clients a worldwide service.
Amber’s expertise extends well beyond black letter law and incorporates a more holistic approach, factoring in all aspects of communications and messaging, whether to the media or to her clients, their employees, shareholders, customers or to the public at large. In addition, she provides a 24/7 crisis management service, which enables clients to feel ‘very supported…at this choppy time’.
Amber is the Spear’s Wealth Management Defamation & Reputation Management Lawyer of the Year, 2017. In 2016, she was rated in The Spear’s 500 directory as ‘outstanding in field’ and rated as one of the top UK reputation management lawyers. Chambers and Partners directory 2015 quote clients as saying of her, she is "very supportive and extremely dedicated", she "knows the business inside out" and is praised for her commitment to her clients’ needs. Clients revere Melville-Brown for her empathy, availability and tactfulness, labelling her ‘absolutely outstanding’. Chambers and Partners 2014 describe Amber as ‘friendly and welcoming’ – one client comments ‘you are the lady I look up to’ - ‘incredibly sensible and practical’ and she is praised for her ability to ‘translate difficult legal concepts and then convey them to clients.’ Amber is described by Legal 500 2013 as ‘intelligent, solid, sensible and practical.’
Amber’s clients include heads of state, members of Parliament, high profile individuals in the arts, sports and music industries, professionals and entrepreneurs, family offices, charities and companies. Increasingly her clients are seeking advice on online publications, including on social media sites including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. That said, the nature of Amber’s work in privacy and reputation means that she and her team are discreet with our clients’ identities information as you would expect.
Amber is a respected author on media matters. She was one of the longest standing columnists for the professional magazine, the Law Society Gazette and has gone on to write articles and provide commentary for national and international newspapers as well as specialist titles and online sites where she is regularly invited to comment on media law issues. She is also regularly invited to speak at events on social media and traditional media, reputation and privacy related matters.
During her time as deputy head of the litigation and arbitration team, assisted in the management of the department through its most significant period of growth, as it broadened its international reach and range of services.
Amber is Withers’ corporate social responsibility partner, responsible for overseeing the firm’s CSR activities, initiatives and policies.
Track record
Admissions
Publications
Memberships
Talks
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.
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.
We are still actively pursuing phone hacking cases for our clients; naturally these remain highly confidential.
England and Wales, 1995
New York Supreme Court, First Division, 2019
‘The Divorce Case That Never Was’: The First Week In The Depp v. Heard Trial,’ The Guardian - April 23, 2022, quoted
‘Leaders List interview: 60 seconds with Amber Melville-Brown Withers,’ Citywealth - April 5, 2022, quoted
‘What the Johnny Depp battle tells us about Slapps,’ The Times - March 31, 2022, authored
The Law Society of England and Wales
New York State Bar
New York City Bar
‘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
Me in a minute
Words have been the mainstay of my professional life
Education
Languages
- English
