Eric George — Direct
70 linesTHE COURT: Your next witness.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Your Honor, our next witness is Eric George. He was the attorney for Amber relating to the op-ed.
THE COURT: All right.
THE COURT: ERIC GEORGE, being fast duly sworn, was examined and testified as follows:
MS. BREDEHOFT: Will you please state your name for the record.
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. Eric George. E-R-1-C, last name is George, G-E-0-R-G-E.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And could you also state your business address, please.
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 2800, Los Angeles, California 90067.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what is the name of the law firm that you work with?
ERIC GEORGE: It's Browne, B-R-O-W-N-E, George, Ross, O'Brien, Annaguey, & Ellis.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And you are an attorney, Mr. George?
ERIC GEORGE: I am I am
MS. BREDEHOFT: And I take it from the name of the finn that you are one of the named partners?
ERIC GEORGE: I am the.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What are your areas of practice?
ERIC GEORGE: Litigation, largely in the business and entertainment areas.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Have you handled defamation and libel matters?
ERIC GEORGE: I have.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Where are you barred? In other words, what states are you a member of the bar?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. In California; New York; and Washington, D.C.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And are you also a member or barred in the United States Supreme Court?
ERIC GEORGE: I am.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Can you please tell us where you attended undergraduate and law school?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. Georgetown for both undergrad and law school.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What, if any, service did you have with the counsel of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. In -- I'm just pausing to get my dates correct here. In approximately March of 1999, I began service as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee where I served to about mid 2000.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what, if any, service did you have y to the secretary -- the legal affairs secretary to the governor Pete Wilson?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. From about March 1997 to January of 1999, I was counsel to then-Governor Pete ls Wilson, and my specific title was deputy legal affairs secretary.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Have you been recognized for your career achievements since you have been an attorney?
ERIC GEORGE: Well, I'll say immodestly, yes. Various ways lawyers are from time to time in magazines and publications and whatnot.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what, if any, recognition have you received as one of the top 100 attorneys in California?
ERIC GEORGE: The legal paper annually puts out a list of the top hundred attorneys in California. I've been fortunate to be selected as one of those for many years.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what, if any, recognition have you had as being a superlawyer in California?
ERIC GEORGE: Same answer, except that I believe it's I called Los Angeles Lawyer magazine. I could have that wrong. Again, annually, they put out a list of their superlawyers.
MS. BREDEHOFT: All right. Are you also a member of the American Association of Trial Lawyers?
ERIC GEORGE: I am.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What is one of the qualifications for Is becoming a member being invited to be a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure. So the college reaches out to individual lawyers who distinguish themselves and generally occupy the top 1 percent of law practice, and it's an organization dedicated to development of professionalism within the practice of law.
MS. BREDEHOFT: I'm going to now tum to Amber Heard, and I'm going to ask you, Mr. George, how long !is have you known Amber Heard?
ERIC GEORGE: I have known Amber Heard, gosh, it's got to be a good five years.
MS. BREDEHOFT: I'm going to be referring to an op-ed. And I'm going to use the term "op-ed," it's obviously an "opinion editorial" that Amber Heard ended up ultimately publishing with the ACLU in The Washington Post December 18, 2018.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So as I go through and ask these questions, I'm going to be using just the term "op-ed."
MS. BREDEHOFT: Will you be comfortable with me using "op-ed" and understand it to mean that particular publication on December 18th, 2018?
ERIC GEORGE: Sure.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So what, if any, legal representation did you provide to Ms. Heard relating to the op-ed?
ERIC GEORGE: She presented to me a draft of the op-ed and asked for my counsel in terms of reviewing it, editing it, and finalizing it for publication.
MS. BREDEHOFT: When is the first time Amber Heard reached out to you in connection with the op-ed, in reviewing the op-ed?
ERIC GEORGE: It was certainly within the time frame of December 6th, 2018.
MS. BREDEHOFT: In connection with the op-ed, what, if anything, was your objective in representing Amber Heard with respect to the review and revision of the op-ed?
ERIC GEORGE: I reviewed it and spent some significant time on it to make sure that there would be no meritorious claims that could be brought against her in connection with a defamation or related type of tort claim And ideally, with that in mind, to minimize the possibility of her ever being sued in connection with publishing it.
MS. BREDEHOFT: So, Mr. George, I'm going to ask you to take a look at Exhibit Number 9.
ERIC GEORGE: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Are you familiar with this document?
ERIC GEORGE: I am.
MS. BREDEHOFT: Please describe what it is?
ERIC GEORGE: As its title, it says, "Judgment for Dissolution of the Marriage between Amber Heard and Mr. Depp."
MS. BREDEHOFT: Were you familiar with this document I and its content when you represented Amber Heard relating to the review of the op-ed?
ERIC GEORGE: Yes.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what was your objective in representing and advising Amber Heard on the op-ed in connection with this stipulated judgment for the dissolution of marriage?
ERIC GEORGE: So my objective was to make sure that there would be no meritorious claim that could be brought against Ms. Heard in connection with the publication of an op-ed, whether that is a tort related to, say, defamation or something akin to it, but also including a contract-based breach claim arising in connection with the judgment.
MS. BREDEHOFT: And what, if any, indications did you have from Amber Heard during that time frame that Amber did not intend to follow your advice or did 1118 not care if she was in a compromising position or might be at legal risk?
ERIC GEORGE: So let me answer that this way: Really, two points, number one, there was never anything that she said to me to the effect that I she was willing to run some risk of being sued or that she wouldn't listen to my counsel or anything of that sort.
ERIC GEORGE: Number two, that she affirmatively did follow, in all instances, my counsel with respect to these particular edits.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What, if any, legal advice provided by you to Amber Heard respecting The Washington Post op-ed was disregarded by Amber Heard?
ERIC GEORGE: None, to my knowledge.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What, if any, legal advice provided by you to Amber Heard respecting The Washington Post op-ed was followed by Amber Heard?
ERIC GEORGE: All of it.
MS. BREDEHOFT: What, if any, legal advice did you provide to Amber Heard in connection with the drafting and publication of the op-ed that was not made in good faith by you?
ERIC GEORGE: I acted in good faith throughout and d ,20 with the best of my abilities.