Cyber Espionage Unmasked: Accusations Against Vantage Intelligence

A New York attorney has accused Vantage Intelligence of hiring mercenary hackers to unjustly influence a court case against him regarding self-dealing allegations tied to the Russian oil giant Yukos. He claims privileged communications were compromised, seeking to overturn the 2019 judgment against him.

In a striking legal motion filed in Manhattan federal court, a New York attorney has alleged that the British private intelligence firm, Vantage Intelligence, hired mercenary hackers to tip a court battle in the opponent's favor. Daniel Feldman, embroiled in a lawsuit with Yukos-linked companies, accuses Vantage of hacking into his privileged communications.

Feldman's accusations are tied to a legal battle with clients of Vantage, related to the now-defunct Russian oil giant Yukos. Feldman was found liable in 2019 for fiduciary breaches, albeit fined nominally. He seeks to overturn this, claiming the case was compromised by hacking activities allegedly linked to Vantage.

Feldman is not alone; he joins others worldwide seeking to challenge legal judgments based on hacking evidence. While Vantage and its affiliate, Erik Prince, did not comment, Feldman contends that email breaches affected his legal strategy. This follows reports by Reuters about various litigants targeted by cyberespionage as their cases unfolded.

(With inputs from agencies.)