Darktrace PLC (LSE:DARK), the cyber-security company, said that neither it nor any of its acting executives are party to current civil proceedings regarding the sale of software company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard (HP).
London-listed Darktrace added that neither itself nor any of its acting executives are the target of an investigation.
The statement follows reports that Darktrace's chief strategy officer, Nicole Eagan, was named in a ruling in the UK High Court yesterday over her role in the sale of Autonomy.
The Telegraph reported that Eagan was marketing chief at Autonomy when it was sold to HP in 2011.
HP paid US$11.7bn for Autonomy, but a year later it wrote down the value of the business by $8.8bn. It accused Autonomy founder Mike Lynch, who was until earlier this year an advisor to Darktrace, of over-inflating the firm's value, and launched a civil case against him. Lynch denies all claims against him.
Justice Robert Hildyard found that Autonomy's management had used accounting "levers" to overstate the value of the business. He said Darktrace's Eagan was part of the "clique" responsible for this.
"We see no link between Darktrace and the civil action against Dr Mike Lynch by Hewlett Packard or its subsidiaries," Darktrace said.
It added that there has been no change to the prospects or trading of the business since its last update.