Tragic yacht: Leading business lawyer loses his life

Renowned business lawyer Christopher J. Morvillo is said to have died after his superyacht sank on a cruise he was on following his acquittal of British software mogul Mike Lynch.

Morvillo, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan and partner at Clifford Chance, had become one of the country's top white collar criminal defense lawyers. The yacht tragedy, in which the luxury boat sank quickly after a freak “waterspout storm.” A colleague, attorney Ayla Ronald, survived the tragedy along with fourteen other people, including Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares.

Six people are still missing, including Morvillo, his wife Neda, Lynch and his daughter Hannah, and Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife.

In June, Morvillo secured a full acquittal for Lynch after a lengthy and high-profile fraud trial in federal court in San Francisco.

Lynch, the founder and former CEO of software company Autonomy, was accused of accounting errors in connection with Hewlett-Packard's $11 billion acquisition of Autonomy in 2011.

The hard-fought trial lasted nearly three months, but the jury deliberated for just two days before finding Lynch and his co-defendant Stephen Chamberlain not guilty on all counts.

Following this remarkable legal victory, Lynch invited Morvillo and other members of the defense team, including Morvillo's wife Neda, on an anniversary trip aboard his 185-foot sailing yacht, Bayesian.

Morvillo, who owns residences in New York City and South Kent, celebrated Lynch's June 6 acquittal on LinkedIn in one of his final social media posts before the ship sank, eerily writing that his family would live “happily ever after.”

“A huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife Neda Morvillo and my two strong, brilliant and beautiful daughters Sabrino Morvillo and Sophia Morvillo,” he wrote after thanking the legal team that contributed to Lynch's legal victory.

Morvillo's loss sent shockwaves through the legal community, where he was widely respected for his legal acumen and instinct for courtroom procedures.

David Oscar Markus, a fellow attorney, called Morvillo “a shining light in the world of white collar criminal defense” and expressed dismay at news of the tragedy.

Morvillo came from a distinguished legal family; his late father, Robert Morvillo, was a renowned criminal defense attorney and founder of the prestigious boutique law firm Morvillo Abramowitz.

Like his father, Christopher Morvillo had established himself as an outstanding trial lawyer, often taking on spectacular, complex cases and achieving remarkable results for his clients.

Clifford Chance wrote that they were “shocked” and “deeply saddened by the tragic incident” and that their thoughts were with the Morvillo couple and their families.

“Our highest priority is to support the family and our colleague Ayla Ronald, who fortunately survived the incident along with her partner,” the company's communications director, Kane Dowsett, wrote in a report to Fox News“Our thoughts are with the other passengers and crew and all those affected. We have no further comment at this time. We and the families ask that their wish for privacy be respected during this time.”