Farhad Azima, the aviation executive who argued that Dechert played a part in a hacking scheme targeted against him, achieved victory in a UK court this week. The decision could bear significant implications for Azima’s civil racketeering lawsuit that is in progress against the law firm. Judge Michael Green made a statement in a March 25 hearing that this is an “egregious case”, critiquing the way they obtained judgments by fraud, as per an official transcript.
In his judgement, Green also ruled against the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority in Azima’s hacking allegation. The emirate has been ordered to bear extortionate legal costs of around £6 million ($7.5 million). Also included in the judgement is an order to pay £14.2 million ($17.9 million) for Azima’s “pecuniary loss”.
The judgement concludes a near-decade long fraud disagreement in the UK between Azima and the Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority. Whilst Azima continues to pursue two lawsuits in the US against parties including Dechert and its former partner Neil Gerrard for ostensibly assisting the alleged hack, a prior agreement by Dechert to pay $3.8 million (£3 million) plus “reasonable costs” to settle Azima’s UK claims was made.
Azima is maintaining his fight and dedication to holding advisors like Dechert and Gerrard accountable for their part in facilitating RAKIA’s strategies against him. It should be noted that Dechert resolved their part in Azima’s claim earlier this year without admitting any responsibility.
Meanwhile, Azima, who had a past business association with Ras Al Khaimah and its investment fund, claimed in US court filings that he was targeted by the emirate due to his work exposing human rights abuses occurring in the country. Azima responded to a successful lawsuit by Ras Al Khaimah with hacking claims, stating that the investment fund, purportedly with assistance from Dechert, had designed a plot to steal and publicise his emails online and, consequently, the judgement was fraudulent.
Associated now-retired London-based partner of Dechert, Neil Gerrard, was hired in 2013 to investigate into issues concerning the ex-CEO of the emirate’s investment fund. Gerrard and other legal professionals in the firm are accused by Azima of later enabling a hack and colluding in its cover-up according to a civil racketeering suit filed in the Southern District of New York in 2022. Dechert has denied having committed any improper conduct and has motioned to dismiss the lawsuit in the US.
The final phases of the UK court’s decision have been described by Azima’s US lawyers as “adding significant credibility” to his case against Dechert. Additionally, Azima is getting ready for a September trial against a private investigator who, allegedly after being hired by Dechert, led the hacking operation. The company’s general counsel, Benjamin Rosenberg, underwent a deposition on February 29 by Azima’s legal team regarding this matter.