USA v. Lynch et al

  1. May 14, 2024

    Autonomy Overstated Revenue Before HP Sale, Jury Hears

    Autonomy's reported revenue was overstated by a combined $300 million in the two-and-a-half years before HP acquired it, an accounting expert testified Tuesday in a California criminal trial over claims that Autonomy founder Michael Lynch duped HP into buying his software company for an inflated $11.7 billion price.

  2. May 13, 2024

    Irked Autonomy Judge Vents On HP Fraud Trial's Slow Pace

    U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer on Monday blasted lawyers for the government and two former Autonomy Corp. PLC executives in a criminal fraud case over the trial's slow progress, saying he's "annoyed," but also "complicit" because he "did not take more of a controlling posture."

  3. May 06, 2024

    Autonomy Execs Scrambled To Boost Gross Margin, Jury Told

    A former Deloitte auditor testifying in a California criminal trial over claims that ex-Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch conned HP into buying the British software company for an inflated $11.7 billion price confirmed Monday that months before the sale, executives were scrambling to boost their gross margin numbers.

  4. May 02, 2024

    Whistleblower Claims Would 'Destroy' Autonomy, GC Was Told

    Autonomy's former U.S. general counsel testified Thursday in the criminal fraud trial of former CEO Michael Lynch that the company's chief operating officer didn't want a whistleblower's claims to get into court, telling him that while the "law" was on their side, "the facts look bad" and would "destroy Autonomy."

  5. May 01, 2024

    Autonomy CEO's Atty Says Judge 'One-Sided' Against Client

    A Steptoe LLP partner representing former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch in his criminal fraud jury trial accused the judge overseeing the case of making comments to the jury that are "one-sided" in a way that prejudices the defense.

  6. April 30, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy VP Says CEO Lynch Told Him To Lie To Investors

    A former Autonomy business development executive testified Tuesday that CEO Mike Lynch directed him to lie to a hedge fund investor about prepaid royalty deals that boosted the company's upfront revenue numbers, saying at Lynch's criminal fraud trial that it was hard to say no to the "big boss."

  7. April 29, 2024

    'I Don't Want To Try That Case,' Judge Tells Mike Lynch's Atty

    The California federal judge overseeing Autonomy founder Michael Lynch's fraud trial over claims he duped HP into paying an inflated $11.7 billion for his company pushed back Monday against an attempt by Lynch's lawyer to introduce evidence of events that took place after the acquisition, saying, "I don't want to try that case."

  8. April 24, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy GC Tells Jurors He Wanted To Be 'Helpful' To HP

    Autonomy's former U.S. general counsel conceded Wednesday in the criminal trial of former CEO Michael Lynch that he told an HP lawyer he wanted to be as "helpful" as possible to the company as it was investigating Autonomy-related issues that popped up after the Silicon Valley giant purchased the British company, and that he was told he could face liability for his work at Autonomy.

  9. April 23, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy Tech Exec Doubted 'Bizarre' $6M Deal, Jury Told

    Autonomy's ex-chief technology officer testified Tuesday in the California federal fraud trial of former CEO Michael Lynch that he had concerns about Autonomy's "bizarre" 2010 deal to sell $6 million in repackaged hardware, which prosecutors allege was never delivered and was only used to artificially inflate Autonomy's revenues.

  10. April 18, 2024

    Ex-Autonomy CEO Wanted Whistleblower Fired, Ex-GC Says

    Former Autonomy CEO Michael Lynch thought a finance department whistleblower was "trying to destroy the company" and wanted him fired, the software company's former U.S. general counsel testified Thursday in a criminal fraud trial over claims Lynch conned HP into buying the British company at an inflated price of $11.7 billion.