High Court Denies Appeal in Lynch-HP Legal Battle

The estate of the late tech mogul Mike Lynch has been denied an appeal against a London High Court decision holding him liable to Hewlett Packard Enterprise after Autonomy's acquisition. Hewlett Packard seeks damages over an $8.8 billion write-down related to the acquisition of Lynch's firm, Autonomy.

The estate of the late British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was denied permission on Tuesday to appeal a decision by London's High Court. The ruling found Lynch liable to Hewlett Packard Enterprise over the acquisition of his company, Autonomy.

Hewlett Packard is seeking damages from Lynch's estate after his death last year, when his luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily. The U.S. technology firm claims that Lynch and Autonomy's former CFO, Sushovan Hussain, inflated the company's value before its 2011 acquisition for $11.1 billion.

Within a year of the deal, HP wrote down Autonomy's value by $8.8 billion. The High Court's 2022 judgement held Lynch and Hussain responsible for the financial discrepancies, and though Lynch's estate sought to appeal, the request was denied. However, they may still apply directly to the Court of Appeal.

(With inputs from agencies.)