Designer wife of high-powered attorney writes eerie post before disappearance on superyacht tragedy.
Six people, including New York City lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda, a jewelry designer, are missing at sea.
On Monday morning, a top New York City lawyer and his jewelry designer wife were among the six people still missing after a Bayesian superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily.
The Bayesian, a 184-foot luxury British vessel, overturned amid bad weather conditions, resulting in the rescue of 15 people out of 22. One body was discovered, and lawyer Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo are among the six passengers still missing.
The sailboat capsized after 5 a.m. near Palermo, with 22 people on board, including British, American and Canadian nationals.
Morvillo, a 59-year-old Fordham graduate, was a former federal prosecutor who worked on the investigation of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks before becoming a partner at Clifford Chance in New York City. He now specializes in cases involving insider trading and corporate fraud.
Morvillo recently represented British tech tycoon billionaire Mike Lynch, the owner of the capsized Bayesian who is still missing along with his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, in a fraud trial. Lynch was accused of fraud related to Hewlett Packard's acquisition of his company, Autonomy.
Morvillo, who owns properties in New York City and South Kent, posted on LinkedIn about Lynch's acquittal on June 6, stating that his family would live "happily ever after."
"My wife, Neda Morvillo, and daughters, Sabrino Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo, deserve a huge thank you for their patience and brilliance, as does my legal team for their help in my legal success," Lynch wrote.
Last week, David Oscar Markus, a criminal defense lawyer and podcast host, wrote a blog post about Morvillo, describing him as a "superstar lawyer."
"Chris devoted over a decade to securing justice for Mike Lynch, and now that it has been achieved, it's difficult to express the appropriate words."
The 13-year legal battle, considered one of Silicon Valley's largest fraud cases, ended with Lynch's acquittal, as stated in a press release by Clifford Chance.
"The verdict ends the 13-year struggle to prove HP's incompetence was Dr. Lynch's fault," the company stated. "We are relieved that the truth has emerged. We appreciate Dr. Lynch's loyalty during this trial and hope he can now return to England to resume his work and innovate."
Lynch stated that he was eager to return to the UK and focus on his family and innovating in his field.
Clifford Chance expressed their shock and sadness over the tragic incident and stated that their thoughts are with the Morvillo couple and their families in a statement to Planet Chronicle Digital.
"Kane Dowsett, the firm's communication head, wrote that the family and Ayla Ronald, her partner, were grateful to have survived the incident. The firm's thoughts are with the other passengers and crew, and they have no further comment at this time. They and the families request privacy during this period."
Neda Nassiri, Morvillo's wife, has been designing and hand-crafting luxury jewelry in New York for over two decades, according to her website.
Planet Chronicle Digital's Pilar Arias contributed to this report.
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