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 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 Managing 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. In 2022, Amber was 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.
Track record
Admissions
Publications
Memberships
Talks
Racing Point UK Limited - Advised the team at Racing Point UK Limited on the many and varied communications and media-related issues arising out of their successful and landmark acquisition of the business and assets of Force India.
Food production company – Provided litigation support advice and assistance to client engaged in a cross-border, multi-jurisdiction dispute, including advice on false and damaging allegations, their impact on reputation and brand when reported in various jurisdictions, crisis management and communication issues to deliver proper and accurate messaging to staff, customers and financial institutions.
International manufacturing and distribution company – Advised international business engaged in litigation, on media and communications related issues, including urgently and across a number of international jurisdictions and time-zones; preparing reactive statements for internal use with employees, external facing communications for professional associates, customers and industry colleagues, and reactive media statements concerning the litigation.
England and Wales, 1995
New York Supreme Court, First Division, 2019
‘Can A ‘Rusty’ Reputation Be Repaired?,’ WealthManagement.com - November 14, 2022, author
‘Harry Files New Lawsuit Against U.K. Government in Sign Tensions Remain,’ Newsweek - August 4, 2022, quoted
‘Prince Harry’s New U.K. Government Lawsuit Risks Creating a ‘Wild West’,’ Newsweek - July 13, 2022, quoted
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
