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Who is Ben Rottenborn? Amber Heard’s lawyer in Johnny Depp trial

The defamation lawsuit was brought by Depp against his ex-wife and both lead attorneys have received a lot of publicity over the course of the trial.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKIGetty

After a week’s recess, the defamation trial brought by Johnny Depp against ex-wife Amber Heard resumed on Monday with more strenuous cross-examination.

Some legal spectators have said that they expect the trial to reach a conclusion this week, once Depp’s legal team have finished their cross-examination. After that point the jury will be given time to deliberate before returning their verdict.

On Monday Heard was questioned by Depp’s attorney, Camile Vasquez, who has taken centre stage during the cross-examination. Her questioning has focused on the severity of the injuries that Heard claims were inflicted by Depp, as well as claims that she would donate money awarded in the divorce to various charities.

Representing Heard is attorney Ben Rottenborn, who conducted a detailed questioning of Depp and many other witnesses during the first half of the trial.

Who is Ben Rettenborn, Depp’s lawyer?

The Depp – Heard trial has garnered a huge amount of interest in recent weeks with two major celebrities battling it out in the courts. Depp sued for defamation, requesting $50 million in compensation, only to be countersued by Heard for $100 million.

During the course of the trial the two lead attorneys have been in the spotlight, and this is the most high profile case of Rottenborn’s career to date. He joined Wood Rogers, a Virginia-based law firm where he is currently employed as principal attorney, in 2012, and specialised in complex civil litigation matters.

His biography on the firm’s website says that he has extensive experience with cases involving “issues in fiduciary duty, general commercial law, private equity/venture capital, securities, intellectual property, and products liability.”

A Virginia native, he graduated with highest distinction from the University of Virginia and went on to complete his law degree at Stanford Law School. He served as a judicial clerk for the Honorable David G. Campbell, US District Judge for the District of Arizona, after graduating and has also been an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law.

One of his major career achievements is listed as “representing venture capital directors in a breach of fiduciary duty lawsuit brought by former shareholders in a technology start-up company”.

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