Paying the price for fighting for shareholders rights
Lawyers involved in fighting for shareholders rights are not normally thought to be in a dangerous profession. That is unless you are a lawyer in Russia.
The death has been announced (see Daily Telegraph article) of Sergei Magnitsky, 37 year old father of two and a lawyer in the firm of Firestone Duncan in Moscow who were representing Hermitage Capital Management.
Hermitage had long campaigned against the abuse of minority shareholders rights in Russia and got embroiled in a dispute with the Russian authorities. Mr Magnitsky testified against a Russian Interior Ministry official and was slung in jail in November 2008 on “tax charges”. Mr Magnitsky subsequently complained of inhumane conditions and lack of treatment for a pancreatic complaint and reportedly died in the last few days of “heart failure and toxic shock”.
A salutary warning for anybody thinking of litigating in Russia and my thoughts go out to his family.
Tags: shareholder rights, shareholders rights
shareholders rights | Ed Weeks | 
November 18, 2009 4:43 pm
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