November 2004
  • David Nosal resigns from Korn/Ferry. [Read More]
August 2005
  • FBI conducts raid on Nosal Partners offices and on the homes of five of approximately 15-20 individuals planning to join the company.
  • Korn/Ferry files civil suit and launches PR initiative claiming that David Nosal orchestrated the downloading of 32,000 records.
    • The Korn/Ferry allegations that were articulated through two Wall Street Journal articles by Joann Lublin were later proven to be false.
August 2006
  • David Nosal’s civil suit is dismissed in court as allegations were proven to be false.
April 2008
  • U.S. government indicts David Nosal on 20 counts:
    • Count 1 – Conspiracy to Misappropriate, Receive, Possess, and Transmit Trade Secrets, Gain Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer, Exceed Authorized Access to a Protected Computer, and Traffic in a Password Allowing Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer.
    • Counts 2 through 9 – Unauthorized Access to a Protected Computer with Intent to Defraud and Obtaining Something of Value.
    • Count 10 – Theft, Misappropriation, and Unauthorized Downloading of Trade Secrets.
    • Count 11 – Unauthorized Receipt and Possession of Stolen Trade Secrets.
    • Counts 12 through 18 – Mail Fraud.
    • Counts 19 and 20 – Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud.
April 2009
  • Nine counts (counts 12-20) are dismissed by San Francisco Federal Court as not being supported by law.
January 2010
  • Five additional counts (counts 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7) are dismissed by San Francisco Federal Court as not being supported by law.
  • Federal lawyers appealed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
April 2012
  • 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rehears case en banc and affirms the dismissal of five counts by San Francisco Federal judge.
April 2013
  • With 14 of 20 counts thrown out, the last 6 counts go to trial.
  • David Nosal is convicted by jury on the final 6 counts (Counts 1, 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11):
    • three counts of violations of the CFAA (Based on actions taken by others, not Nosal).
    • two counts of trade secret violations (Based on actions taken by others, not Nosal).
    • one count of conspiracy.
January 2014
  • David Nosal is sentenced.
July 2016
  • A divided 9th Circuit Court of Appeals denies petition by David Nosal to rehear case.
December 2016
  • A divided 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirms conviction on six counts, but significantly reduces the amount of restitution.
March 2017
  • Spencer Stuart files civil suit against Korn/Ferry for trade secret violations when Korn/Ferry hired Francois Truc and Edouard Paquet away from Spencer Stuart.  They alleged that Korn/Ferry asked Messrs. Truc and Paquet to steal (download and erase) a substantial amount of proprietary information before leaving Spencer Stuart in an attempt to dismantle Spencer Stuart’s global automotive practice. [Read the case here]
August 2017
  • Korn/Ferry settle lawsuit in civil court subject to a non-disclosure agreement with no criminal charges filed against Messrs. Truc or Paquet, or Korn/Ferry. Court records are quickly buried and the terms of the settlement are sealed. [Read More]
October 2017
  • Supreme Court declines to hear David Nosal’s case.
January 2018
  • David Nosal files a Writ of Coram Nobis to allow the court to correct unfairness of David Nosal’s sentence, a request for Brady material and petition for an evidentiary hearing, as well as a Motion for Post-Remand Restitution Reduction. [Read More]