Amber Charles is an experienced litigator who represents clients in some of the most complex civil litigation matters in the country. She has played key roles on five major trial teams, and is particularly skilled in preparing and defending company witnesses in high-stakes proceedings.
Amber was a senior member of the trial team representing McKesson Corporation in the nationwide opioid litigation, including a four-week Georgia Superior Court jury trial that resulted in a complete defense verdict defeating more than $250 million in claims brought by 21 plaintiffs—the first and only jury trial victory for a defendant in the opioid litigation. She also served on the trial team in a three-month federal bench trial in West Virginia that resulted in a complete defense verdict rejecting $2.6 billion in public-nuisance claims (later vacated on appeal on legal grounds relating to the scope of state public nuisance law).
After the Georgia jury trial victory under the state’s Drug Dealer Liability Act (DDLA) (a verdict later affirmed by the Georgia Supreme Court in 2024), Amber led McKesson’s interlocutory appeal in a separate DDLA case brought by individuals seeking recovery for opioid-related harms. She secured a unanimous Court of Appeals ruling applying a two-year statute of limitations and dismissing the plaintiffs’ claims, a result recognized as Litigator of the Week Runners-Up by AmLaw Litigation Daily.
Amber is also a key member of the firm’s team representing Meta Platforms, Inc. in more than 5,000 mass tort cases involving claims by school districts and parents, and previously served on the trial team that secured a defense verdict for Reckitt Benckiser, parent of Mead Johnson & Company, in infant formula litigation.
In addition to her trial and appellate work, Amber has achieved successful outcomes through strategic motions practice and settlement, including as a member of the team that secured an $850 million recovery for a state in a natural resource damages action. She has also represented a major sports league in class action litigation and financial services and life sciences companies involved in multidistrict litigation nationwide. In addition to her time in private practice, she served as a Trial Attorney in the Consumer Protection Branch of the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Division, where she handled enforcement actions involving consumer fraud, product safety, and deceptive advertising.
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