A lawsuit filed by three venture capital firms against the CEO of Curve Finance, Michael Egorov, has been rejected by a California judge, citing concerns over the venue. The venture capital firms, ParaFi Capital, Framework Ventures, and 1kx, had accused Egorov of involvement in a scheme to defraud them. They alleged that Egorov misappropriated trade secrets and defrauded them of nearly $1 million while misleading them with the promise of a possible stake in Curve Finance.
Curve Finance CEO was accused of defrauding investors
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco, where the plaintiffs claimed that Egorov’s actions constituted a “brazen” attempt to deceive them. However, Judge Richard B. Ulmer Jr., in an order posted recently, noted that Egorov had not been a California resident since 2018. The alleged misdeeds, according to the plaintiffs, occurred in 2020, making California the incorrect jurisdiction for the case.
The three venture capital firms had initiated a breach-of-contract case against Egorov and his company, Swiss Stake, in Switzerland in 2020. They also alleged that Egorov had relocated to Switzerland as a means to shield himself from impending legal consequences. Curve Finance is a prominent decentralized exchange operating on the Ethereum blockchain, ranking among the largest decentralized finance (DeFi) trading platforms.
As of the latest data from DefiLlama, Curve Finance had approximately $4.07 billion in total locked value. Egorov’s legal representation, DLA Piper, stated via email expressing their satisfaction with the court’s decision. They emphasized that the parties had explicitly agreed to resolve all disputes in Switzerland, and the attempt to involve Egorov in a California lawsuit had been rightly rejected.
Lawyers confident of their chances in Swiss courts
Egorov’s legal team remains confident in his prospects in Swiss courts, where skepticism regarding the plaintiffs’ claims has already been expressed. On the other side, Latham & Watkins, the law firm representing the three venture capital firms, expressed disagreement with the court’s decision regarding the venue. They noted that the court did not dismiss the claims on their merits but rather made a procedural determination that the claims should be brought to a Swiss court.
Latham & Watkins emphasized that their clients’ Swiss lawsuit was recently initiated, and Egorov had already been ordered to testify in that matter. They maintain their confidence in holding Egorov accountable and ensuring their clients receive what was promised – a stake in the Curve platform. The rejection of this lawsuit based on jurisdiction highlights the complexity and challenges of legal disputes involving cryptocurrency and blockchain-related entities.
It underscores the importance of carefully considering jurisdictional issues and the agreements made between parties when entering into contracts or investment agreements in the rapidly evolving world of decentralized finance. The outcome of this case in Swiss courts will be closely watched as it may set a precedent for resolving disputes in the DeFi space.
