header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
18 March 2022 / Nick Vamos
Issue: 7971 / Categories: Features , Extradition
printer mail-detail

Extradition has no place for political games

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
75148
Nick Vamos suggests the home secretary sailed close to the wind when trying to delay Michael Lynch’s extradition
  • Raises questions about the Home Secretary’s decision to try to delay the extradition of ‘British Bill Gates’ Autonomy founder, Dr Michael Lynch.
  • Suggests the Home Secretary’s conduct ‘comes worryingly close to political interference’.

Until 2012, Dr Michael Lynch was Chief Executive Officer of Autonomy, a company he founded in 1996. Autonomy had developed highly successful software for storing and searching ‘unstructured data’ such as voicemail and email. In October 2011, Autonomy was sold to Hewlett Packard (HP), the US tech giant, in a deal that valued the company at £7.4bn. Dr Lynch reportedly made £500m from the sale and was hailed as the ‘British Bill Gates’.

In March 2015, however, HP commenced proceedings in the High Court alleging Lynch had dishonestly inflated Autonomy’s value by more than £5bn, leading to what is thought to be the UK’s biggest ever civil fraud trial. In September 2019, the US government requested Lynch’s extradition

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

From first-generation student to trailblazing president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, John McElroy of Fieldfisher reflects on resilience, identity and the power of bringing your whole self to the law

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Planning and environment team expands with partner hire in Manchester

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Firm appoints chief operating officer to strengthen leadership team

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Push to scrap ‘vague’ public office misconduct law
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
NLJ this week: World Cup faces legal storm before kick-off
FIFA’s 2026 Men's World Cup is already mired in controversy, with complaints over ‘excessive prices’ and opaque ticketing. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys warns that governing bodies may face scrutiny under EU competition law, with allegations of a ‘dominant—if not monopolistic—position’ in ticket sales
NLJ this week: Trade mark practice splits widen post-Brexit
Ten years after Brexit, UK and EU trade mark regimes are drifting apart in practice if not principle. Writing in NLJ this week, Roger Lush and Lara Elder of Carpmaels & Ransford highlight tighter UK scrutiny after SkyKick, where overly broad filings may signal ‘bad faith’
NLJ this week: Sanctions ruling casts ‘wide net’ over global finance
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
NLJ this week: England’s courts cement status as fraud battleground
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll