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Clifford Chance Client Dr. Mike Lynch Acquitted in Criminal Fraud Trial

June 6, 2024

Clifford Chance Client Dr. Mike Lynch Acquitted in Criminal Fraud Trial

Global law firm Clifford Chance secured a not-guilty jury verdict on behalf of client and former CEO of Autonomy, Dr. Mike Lynch, after a 12-week criminal trial in Federal Court.

Dr. Lynch was accused of deceiving Hewlett Packard Co. (HP) about Autonomy's business and financial health in the years leading up to HP’s 2011 acquisition of the British software company for US$11.7 billion. The acquittal ends a 13-year legal battle, regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s biggest-ever fraud cases.

Clifford Chance partner Christopher Morvillo and Steptoe LLP partner Brian Heberlig served as co-counsel for Dr. Lynch. They said: “We are thrilled with the jury's verdict, which reflects a resounding rejection of the government's profound overreach in this case. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated conclusively that Mike Lynch is innocent. This verdict closes the book on a relentless 13-year effort to pin HP's well-documented ineptitude on Dr. Lynch. Thankfully, the truth has finally prevailed. We thank Dr. Lynch for his trust throughout this ordeal and hope that he can now return home to England to resume his life and continue innovating.”

The team succeeded in clearing Dr. Lynch of securities and wire fraud based on claims that he falsely inflated revenues at Autonomy. On the stand, Dr. Lynch maintained his innocence and denied the allegations against him. He maintained that the US$8.8 billion write-down HP took the year after the acquisition was the company’s own fault. 

Dr. Lynch said: "I am elated with today’s verdict and grateful to the jury for their attention to the facts over the last 12 weeks. My deepest thanks go to my legal team for their tireless work on my behalf. I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field." 

In addition to Morvillo, Clifford Chance lawyers on this case included partners Dan Silver and Celeste Koeleveld. In addition to Heberlig, the Steptoe team included partners Michelle Levin, Jonathan Baum, Nicholas Silverman and Reid Weingarten.