Depending on who you believe, the ascent of America’s largest mutual fund company to new pinnacles of success has been a product of a devious secret tax evasion scheme or else a pioneering business model of incredible value whose reputation was taken hostage by the greed of a disgruntled employee.

Vanguard Group’s response to the accusations of its former tax lawyer from Wayne characterized David Danon’s lawsuit as “a brazen attempt by an in-house attorney to obtain a bounty [of up to 30 percent of any Vanguard settlement with tax collectors] as a whistleblower by suing his client with respect to the very issues on which he provided legal advice,” according to a report of the legal battle on Philly.com.

From its argument, Vanguard believes the legal precedents of betraying lawyers are on its side.

“Permitting lawyers to sue their own clients would make a farce of the attorney-client relationship” and “destroy the very underpinnings of the legal system,” the article quoted Vanguard as stating.

In addition to asserting its own accusations of theft and ethics violations, Vanguard defended its business structure in relation to the tax code.

Read more about the Malvern-based financial giant’s legal defense on Philly.com here, and check out previous Chesco Business Today coverage of the lawsuit here.