Meghan Markle ‘replaces Johnny Depp lawyer’ in fight against Mail on Sunday

Meghan Markle has ‘replaced David Sherborne’ as her lawyer in her case against the Mail on Sunday.

Mr Sherborne recently represented Johnny Depp against News Group Newspapers, where the actor faced his ex Amber Heard at the High Court.

Mr Sherborne’s colleague Justin Rushbrooke confirmed that he is now working with Markle to The Sun, and appeared at the l atest preliminary hearing in London today.

Mr Rushbrooke previously stood in for Sherborne when he was tied up with Depp’s defamation case in July.

The barristers, who both work out of chambers 5RB, have been described as ‘chalk and cheese’.

Mirror Online has contacted 5RB for comment.

Markle is suing Associated newspapers over an article that printed parts of a “private and confidential” letter sent to her estranged dad Thomas Markle before her wedding in August 2018.

The former Suits actress said the five articles from February 2019 were a misuse of her private information and breached the Data Protection Act.

Mr Shearborne lost a pre-trial hearing in May that led to Meghan out paying £67,888 in legal costs.

The High Court agreed to strike out part of Meghan’s claim that the newspaper had executed a persistent negative campaign against her.

The latest hearing was held at the High Court this morning with the Mail on Sunday accusing Meghan of ‘co-operating’ with the authors of Finding Freedom.

Antony White QC, representing ANL, said Finding Freedom, which was published in August, gave “every appearance of having been written with their (Meghan and Harry’s) extensive co-operation”.

However lawyers for the former Suits actress say references by authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand were simply “extracts from the letter lifted from the defendant’s own articles”.

The controversial book focuses on Harry and Meghan’s lives together as senior royals and the fall-out from their decision to step down from their duties this year.

A spokesperson for the couple previously said they were not interviewed and did not contribute to the piece.

“This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting,” the statement read.

Last month, Megan won the most recent tussle in her legal action when Mr Justice Warby ruled in her favour to protect the identities of the five friends who gave an anonymous interview about her to a US magazine.

The five gave an interview with People magazine about the bullying Meghan had faced in the media.

Meghan is suing ANL over five articles in total, two in the Mail on Sunday and three on MailOnline.

The headline of the first Mail on Sunday article read: “Revealed: The letter showing true tragedy of Meghan’s rift with a father she says has ‘broken her heart into a million pieces’.”

Other issues to be discussed today include the timetable for naming witnesses, the trial date, a cap on legal costs and the application by Associated Newspapers’ lawyers to amend their defence ahead of the trial.

A trial is set to take place in January.