Yacht sinking in Sicily: a tech tycoon, a defence lawyer and a Morgan Stanley banker among the missing

Lynch spent the next 12 years trying to clear his name and was cleared of all criminal charges just weeks ago in the United States. After the sale of Autonomy, Lynch founded Invoke Capital, a technology venture capital fund. Mike Lynch’s daughter Hannah, 18, is also missing. A profile of Lynch published last month in the Sunday Times said Hannah was preparing to study English literature at Oxford University. His wife, Angela Bacares, who owns the boat, was also on board but was rescued. (Image: Reuters)

Jonathan Bloomer and Judy Bloomer | Jonathan Bloomer appeared as a prosecution witness in Lynch’s court case earlier this year. Bloomer has been non-executive chairman of Morgan Stanley International since 2016 and is chairman of specialist international insurer Hiscox. He was also chief executive of insurance and investment company Prudential from 2000 to 2005. He studied physics at Imperial College London in the 1970s, according to his LinkedIn profile. (Image: Hiscox)

One of Bloomer’s former employees wrote on LinkedIn that he was “always a kind, approachable and likeable man”. Hiscox chief executive Aki Hussain said in a statement on Tuesday that they were deeply shocked and saddened and that their thoughts were with all those affected, particularly Bloomer and his wife Judy, who was also on board the yacht. Jonathan Bloomer’s wife Judy, who studied English language and literature at Homerton College, Cambridge, has worked as a psychotherapist for almost 30 years, specialising in anxiety and stress. She began her career as a teacher. (Image: Reuters)

Christopher Morvillo | Christopher Morvillo, a partner at the Clifford Chance law firm in New York City, was part of Lynch’s defense team and fought a lengthy legal battle to acquit his client. His first LinkedIn post was about two months ago to celebrate the court victory. “None of this would have been possible without your love and support,” Morvillo wrote to his family in the post, including his wife, Neda Morvillo. Before joining Clifford Chance in November 2011, Morvillo worked as a principal at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC, providing advice on white-collar criminal defense and regulatory matters. (Image: Clifford Chance)

Morvillo, who studied law at Fordham University, also worked as an assistant US attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1999 to 2005, assisting in the criminal investigation stemming from the 9/11 attacks. David Oscar Markus, a criminal defense attorney and podcast host, interviewed Morvillo last week. He wrote a blog describing him as a “superstar attorney.” “Chris dedicated over a decade of his career to getting justice for Mike Lynch,” Markus wrote. “He did it and now that this has happened… it’s hard to find the right words.” (Image: Reuters)

Neda Morvillo | Christopher Morvillo’s wife, Neda, owns a luxury jewelry line under her maiden name, Neda Nassiri. According to the company’s website, she has been designing and handcrafting jewelry in New York for over two decades. (Image: Neda Nassiri Fine Jewelry)