They were a group brought together by one goal: to defy the odds and win Mike Lynch’s case.
The protracted legal battle started when Hewlett-Packard, the technology company, accused Mr Lynch of fraud by overstating the value of his company Autonomy when he sold it to them in 2011.
The trial saw Mr Lynch, 59, extradited to America to serve a year under house arrest in San Francisco.
Less than 0.5% of federal criminal cases in the United States end in acquittal.
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Had Mr Lynch been convicted, he would have faced up to 25 years in prison. So the jury’s decision to clear him of all charges in June came as a surprise, one he later said gave him a “second life”.
Chris Morvillo, the partner at the law firm Clifford Chance was part of Mr Lynch’s legal team.
He recounted the day the verdict came in with David Markus, an American lawyer, on his podcast a week before the Sicily trip.
“At least our side of the courtroom erupted, it was this electric moment, I’ve never seen anything like it in a courtroom before,” he said.
Neda and Chris Morvillo were said to have been looking forward to the holiday. Pic: Patrick McMullan/Getty
Mr Markus said Mr Morvillo had been looking forward to enjoying the team’s success with a holiday to Sicily. His wife, Neda, and some of the team who had contributed to the win would be attending.
“He couldn’t wait to celebrate, take a deep breath with both Mr Lynch and his family, he was so excited about this trip and rightfully so – he’d…
