A partner at a British law firm missing after a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Italy had praised colleagues in a tragic final Linkedin post. Christopher Morvillo's first - and potentially last - post on the platform told of his pride that colleagues at Clifford Chance were able to help Mike Lynch and Steven Chamberlain in court in San Francisco. Mr Lynch, 59, was accused of fraud in the US in relation to the £8.
6billion sale of his business Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011. But the tech tycoon and Mr Chamberlain - who tragically died after he was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire at the weekend - were found not guilty in court. Mr Morvillo wrote his social media post days after the acquittals, and before Mr Chamberlain's death.
He ended his lengthy praise with seven words, now rather haunting after the latest tragedy. He had wrote: "And they all lived happily ever after..
." The lawyer is among six people believed to be still trapped in the yacht's hull, 50 meters (164 feet) underwater. Divers loaded a rescue dinghy at the port of Porticello, near Palermo, after a first search on Monday ended unsuccessfully .
Fire rescue crews reported that divers were unable to access the below-deck cabins because they were blocked by debris that had shifted during the violent storm that toppled the luxury sailboat early Monday. Fifteen people survived, including a mother who reported holding her one-year-old baby over the waves to save her . One body has been recovered, officials said.
Mr Morvillo's wife is also missing, as is Jonathan Bloomer, the former head of the Autonomy audit committee who testified at Mr Lynch ’s trial, and his wife. The yacht, built in 2008 by the Italian firm Perini Navi, was carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew. According to online charter companies, it has been available for charter for 195,000 euros (about £166,000) a week and is notable for its massive 75-metre tall aluminum mast, one of the tallest in the world .
Mr Morvillo's 495-word LinkedIn post in full "I have never posted on LinkedIn before. Not sure why. The answer must lie somewhere between a fear of social media, an ignorance of the mysteries of this platform, and a lack of something meaningful to say.
But, following the jury's swift exoneration of our client, Mike Lynch, and his colleague, Steven Chamberlain, last week in San Francisco, I finally have something to say that I would like others to hear. While I am proud to share the "Litigator of the Week" nod with my friends Brian Heberlig and Gary Lincenberg, this thrilling verdict flows directly from years of painstaking work by an extraordinary cross-border team, and I would like to recognize some of them as the Litigators of the Last Decade. "To my partners Daniel Silver and Celeste Koeleveld, and the core Clifford Chance trial team Kylie McLaughlin, Harriet Slack, Oriane Hakkila Green, Ayla Ronald, Julia Krusen, Catherine Tanner, Mina Juhn, William Lanier, Larysa K.
, Natalie Hoehl, Erica Lignell, Julia Bruns, and Jacqueline Lee: I am in awe at the enthusiastic commitment you brought to the table every day. A direct line runs from you to the verdict. "To Brian Heberlig , Michelle Levin, Jonathan Baum, Reid Weingarten and the rest of the amazing Steptoe LLP team, including, Nicholas Silverman, David Fragale, Galen Kast, Drew Harris, James Purce, Caroline Covington, Meredith Lewis, Samantha McCarthy, Elena Chun, Riley Segal, and Mikaela Aaland: watching two large law firms operate as one seamless team is the second most important accomplishment of the trial.
Dream Team. "To Gary Lincenberg, Michael Landman, Ray Seilie, Rachel Capata and Cassidy Capata: what a pleasure to divide and conquer with you. Steve could not have asked for a more resolute team.
"Across the long arc of this case, I have watched as core team members have grown into superstar lawyers and left the nest. It would be a fool's errand to try to name them all, but I would be remiss if I did not pay homage to Mary Jane Yoon, Taylor Dean, Ivana Djak, Tara McGrath, and Megan Farrell. Your brilliance was on display in the courtroom even though you were all off slaying dragons in other kingdoms.
"Across the pond, to Kelwin Nicholls, Jeremy Sandelson, Iain Roxborough and my partners and colleagues at Clifford Chance, your incomparable work, support, and therapy along the way made this gargantuan task seem manageable even in the darkest hours. Forever grateful. "To Robert Miles, Richard Hill, Sharif A.
Shivji KC, Alex Bailin KC, Aaron Watkins and Michael Bowes. Your exceptional work provided essential fodder for key victories during the trial. A luxury to stand on the shoulders of giants.
Thank you. "And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters, Sabrina Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo. None of this would have been possible without your love and support.
I am so glad to be home. "And they all lived happily ever after..
..".
