Lawyer Sues Widow and Crew of the Bayesian After Tragic Accident

An Italian lawyer has filed a lawsuit for €222 million against Mike Lynch's widow and members of the crew of the sunken Bayesian superyacht. The lawsuit was advanced by Tommaso Bertuccelli, representative of The Italian Sea Group (TISG), in Palermo on Friday. This caused considerable media frenzy, as TISG has distanced itself from the lawsuit and asked Bertuccelli to withdraw it. The Bayesian, built by TISG, sank off the coast of Sicily in June due to stormy conditions during Mike Lynch's celebration of his acquittal in a U.S. criminal case. The tragic accident claimed the lives of Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, jewelry designer Neda Morvillo, Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, as well as the chef Recaldo Thomas. The lawsuit targets Captain James Cutfield, two other crew members, the firm Camper & Nicholsons, which hired the crew, as well as Revtom, the owner of the Bayesian, controlled by Lynch's widow Angela Bacares. The allegation is that the lawsuit has already caused business losses for TISG, including the withdrawal of a major fashion house from planned projects. Giovanni Costantino, CEO of TISG, promptly sought to mitigate the damage. In a statement, he emphasized that TISG would not pursue any claims against the crew or Lynch's widow. He described the Bayesian as "unsinkable" and blamed human error for the accident, suggesting that an open hatch had allowed water to enter. Italian authorities are now investigating Captain Cutfield for negligent homicide and shipwreck, highlighting a sharp contrast to Costantino's assurances, who excludes human error and calls for further actions. For Angela Bacares, the lawsuit adds to the already massive pressures of recent weeks. Simultaneously, another legal dispute is brewing with Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE), which aims to claim damages up to $4 billion against Lynch and his former company Autonomy due to a previous judgment.