Leading Trial Lawyer Benjamin Chew Joins Sheppard Mullin
September 17 2024 - 1:21PM
Business Wire
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to
announce that Benjamin G. Chew, who served as co-lead counsel for
Johnny Depp in his successful defamation trial in Fairfax County,
Virginia, against former wife Amber Heard, has joined the firm’s
Business Trial practice group in Washington, D.C. He joins from
Brown Rudnick, where he co-chaired the Brand & Reputation
Management group.
Associate Honieh Udenka also joined the firm’s Business Trial
practice group from Brown Rudnick. She is based in Orange
County.
They join colleagues Camille Vasquez, Leo Presiado, Andrew
Crawford, Jessica Meyers and Samuel Moniz, who recently moved to
Sheppard Mullin.
“Ben brings unparalleled trial experience to the firm,” said
Luca Salvi, chair of Sheppard Mullin. “In addition to his
well-known litigation matters for Johnny Depp, he has represented
heads of state, foreign governments and business leaders in a
variety of matters across the globe. We are delighted to have Ben
and Honieh join the firm and expand our Business Trial
practice.”
Chew is a nationally known trial lawyer who has handled numerous
high-profile matters, including “the trial of the century,” Depp v.
Heard. He represents clients in complex commercial litigation and
commercial disputes, including successfully prosecuting two breach
of fiduciary duty cases for Depp. He represented singer and actress
Cher in several cases, including two relating to the Academy Award-
nominated documentary “Edith & Eddie.” He represented the
government of Dubai in securing the dismissal of International
Bechtel’s petition to confirm a multimillion-dollar arbitration
award in the U.S., and won a EULEX criminal trial in Kosovo on
behalf of telecommunications entrepreneurs after passing the
country’s bar exam, allowing them to retain the lucrative
franchise. Fluent in Spanish, Chew won summary judgment for the
government of Honduras in U.S. litigation. He currently represents
the co-developer of Invisalign in several arbitration and
litigation matters. He earned his B.A. from Princeton University
and his J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law, practicing
often in Virginia state and in federal courts. Chew is a Fellow of
the American College of Trial Lawyers and teaches at Harvard Law
School’s trial advocacy workshop.
“Ben and Honieh add even more depth and experience to our team’s
capabilities,” said partner Robert Friedman, co-leader of Sheppard
Mullin’s Business Trial practice group. “They bring great synergies
with their brand reputation experience and our private wealth and
fiduciary litigation and entertainment practices. We are thrilled
they have joined us.”
“I am excited to rejoin my team and continue building on
Sheppard Mullin’s stellar reputation as a litigation powerhouse,”
said Chew. “Our Brand and Reputation Management practice will
benefit from the firm’s full-service platform and deep industry
expertise.”
“I have had the pleasure of working alongside Ben and Honieh for
many years, and they are an integral part of our trial team. I am
excited continue to grow our bi-coastal Brand and Reputation
Management practice on the Sheppard Mullin platform,” said
Vasquez.
Udenka represents clients in complex disputes in a variety of
fields, including commercial and business litigation, defamation
and bankruptcy restructuring matters, with a particular focus on
brand and reputation management. She navigates complex disputes on
matters of national significance involving global companies, and
counsels and defends individuals, celebrities and C-suite
executives. Udenka earned her B.A., with high honors, from Eastern
Mediterranean University and her J.D. from the University of
California, Irvine School of Law.
About Sheppard Mullin’s Business Trial Practice Group
Litigation has been a core part of Sheppard Mullin since 1927.
Our Business Trial practice today consists of approximately 250
attorneys globally. Sheppard Mullin litigators possess exceptional
trial and appellate skills, in-depth knowledge of state and federal
courts at all levels, and practical business judgment, all of which
contribute to our consistent delivery of cost-effective results.
Our litigators represent clients in a broad spectrum of industries
such as computers and information technology, financial services,
aerospace, manufacturing, entertainment, transportation,
communications, pharmaceuticals, advertising, print and broadcast
media, franchising, petroleum production and refining, real estate,
insurance, construction, and food and beverage manufacturing, among
others.
About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard Mullin is a full-service AmLaw 50 firm with more than
1,100 attorneys in 16 offices located in the United States, Europe
and Asia. Since 1927, industry-leading companies have turned to
Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters,
high-stakes litigation and complex financial transactions. In the
U.S., the firm's clients include nearly half of the Fortune 100.
For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.
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JILL SCHACHNER (312) 499-0558
jschachner@sheppardmullin.com
LORENA LOPEZ (619) 338-6650
ilopez@sheppardmullin.com