On this episode of Bad News, Good Lawyers, host Tom Firestone, head of our Government Investigations & White Collar Practice, is joined by longtime friend Jamison Firestone, founder of the first independent foreign law firm in post-Soviet Russia and author of Rule of Lies: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin’s Russia.
Jamison reflects on building a pioneering legal practice in Moscow during the early 1990s – one of the most dangerous times to reside in Russia – and navigating the corruption and personal dangers that defined the era.
The conversation also explores the lasting impact of the Magnitsky sanctions, Jamison’s work advancing the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, and his current efforts to support Ukraine through the use of frozen Russian state assets.
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*The views expressed by guests on Bad News, Good Lawyers are those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of Squire Patton Boggs.
Key questions addressed in this episode
How did Jamison establish the first independent foreign law firm in Russia?
What happened to Jamison’s law partner, who was killed while trying to defend Russian democracy?
Why did Jamison go into business with his father, a convicted felon, who later sought to have Jamison’s law partner seriously injured?
What was Jamison’s relationship with Sergei Magnitsky, and how did Sergei’s efforts to expose corruption in Russia ultimately lead to his death?
What was Jamison’s role in the passage of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act?
Why is Jamison now focused on seizing Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine, and how could those assets be used?
If you have any questions about our podcast, please contact Tom Firestone. And look out for future episodes in this series, where we discuss the intersection of law and politics, and how good lawyers can develop creative solutions to the toughest issues.