White & Case wins right to fight case in Russia

White & Case has won a crucial court battle enabling its client, Russian oil giant TNK, to defend itself against claims on native soil. Lawyers had to convince a British Virgin Islands court that Russia is not “institutionally corrupt” and is an appropriate jurisdiction to hear the dispute. The claimants, minority shareholders in TNK subsidiaries Astian Group and Indian Ocean Petroleum Services, allege that TNK operated an illegal transfer pricing scheme that resulted in profits due to the subsidiaries being realised further up the corporate structure. The Moscow office will handle the litigation for TNK. First revealed on www.thelawyer.com 2 December