Legal Tensions Rise: Mercenary Hackers Allegedly Tip Court Scales

A New York attorney accuses British firm Vantage Intelligence of hiring hackers to sway a court case in favor of their clients, tied to the defunct Russian oil company Yukos. Feldman, whose emails were compromised, seeks to overturn the verdict which deemed him liable for fiduciary breaches.

In a legal battle echoing across international borders, a New York attorney, Daniel Feldman, has accused Vantage Intelligence, a British private intelligence firm, of employing mercenary hackers to sway a court verdict. Filed in Manhattan's federal court, the motion contends that the firm hired cyber-spies to access privileged communications, allegedly tipping the scales in favor of Vantage's clients, companies associated with the defunct Russian oil giant Yukos.

Despite no evidence of harm, a 2019 jury found Feldman liable for breaching fiduciary duties. The attorney, whose license was suspended post-verdict, now seeks to void the decision, asserting it was marred by cyber intrusion. Attempts to solicit comments from Yukos-linked entities and Vantage have been unfruitful. Notably, Vantage gained attention in the intelligence community by adding Blackwater's founder Erik Prince to its advisory board last year.

The filing reveals that Feldman was among numerous targets in high-profile cases globally, identified through Reuters' investigations into mercenary hacking operations. He alleges the involvement of Indian hackers, billing by Israeli private eye Aviram Azari, and a confirmed breach of his emails by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Feldman joins a rising number of litigants contesting legal outcomes with hacking evidence.

(With inputs from agencies.)