Philadelphia Law Firm Dechert Settles Lawsuits

By Raphael Satter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Philadelphia-based law firm Dechert announced on Thursday the resolution of two U.S. lawsuits accusing it of utilizing hired hackers to achieve favorable court outcomes without admitting any liability.

The firm, along with U.S. public relations operatives and a private investigator, was sued in federal court in Manhattan in 2022 by aviation executive Farhad Azima. Azima accused them of orchestrating the hack and leak of his emails.

A related lawsuit was filed in North Carolina against another private investigator, Nicholas Del Rosso, with similar allegations.

Dechert had previously settled with Azima last year, but the cases against other parties, including Israeli private investigator Amit Forlit, lawyer Amir Handjani, and New York public relations firm Karv Communications, were still pending.

Legal documents indicate that motions to dismiss the lawsuits in New York and North Carolina with prejudice were submitted late Wednesday.

In a statement, Azima expressed that he is “thrilled and feels vindicated by the outcome.”

Neither Dechert, Azima, nor the involved parties elaborated on the specifics of how the lawsuits were resolved, whether any new settlements were reached, or their terms.

Dechert, Handjani, Karv, and Karv’s president, Andrew Frank, released identical statements confirming that “The defendants and Mr. Azima have now resolved all claims without admission of liability.”

Messages sent to representatives for Del Rosso and Forlit were not returned.

In 2020, Azima was found liable for fraud by a London court regarding his dealings with a Middle Eastern investment fund. This case heavily relied on private emails that were mysteriously leaked online before the trial.

Following a Reuters investigation highlighting Indian hackers stealing emails to influence court cases, Azima accused Dechert, the fund’s former law firm, of involvement in the leak, leading to the dismissal of his UK judgments.

Forlit, accused by Azima of being a central figure in the conspiracy against him, is currently contesting extradition to the U.S. on separate cybercrime allegations, which he has firmly denied.