Dechert Dropped From Former WSJ Reporter’s RICO Hacking Lawsuit

A former Wall Street Journal reporter voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against Dechert LLP over an alleged hacking scheme he said led to his firing.

Jonathan Solomon alleged he was fired from his position as chief foreign affairs correspondent for the WSJ after Dechert and other defendants illegally obtained communications between him and a source, then released them in a way that created the appearance of unethical conduct that never occurred.

Dechert denied Solomon’s allegations, arguing that the reporter was the victim of his own “serious ethical lapses.”

The notice of dismissal applied to Solomon’s claims against Dechert and two key Dechert attorneys during the time period at issue in the lawsuit, but not to his claims against the remaining defendants, including Vital Management Services Inc., Israel Insight Analysis and Research LLC, SDC-Gadot LLC, and KARV Communications Inc.

Solomon’s attorneys didn’t respond immediately to a request for comment Tuesday.

The lawsuit claimed violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the Federal Wiretap Act, the D.C. Wiretap Act, and brought common law claims of tortious interference with business relationships and civil conspiracy.

Dechert also was sued under RICO by the source, Iranian-American aviation executive Farhad Azima, in connection with the same alleged scheme.

Azima’s suit remains pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Heideman Nudelman & Kalik PC represents Solomon. Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP represents Dechert.

The case is Solomon v. Dechert LLP, D.D.C., No. 1:22-cv-03137, 8/14/23.