Tim Osborne reacts to the withdrawal of Houthoff and Albert Jan van den Berg as counsel for the Russian Federation
On March 3rd, 2022, the Amsterdam based law firm Houthoff announced that it was ceasing all work for the Russian Federation. On March 2nd, Albert Jan van den Berg had announced that he was doing the same. GML's CEO Tim Osborne reaction to these withdrawals follows below.
“For over a decade, we have seen the Russian Federation spread its lies in court proceedings and its lawyers happily justify the brutal behaviour of the Kremlin. The sudden withdrawal of its lawyers is disingenuous. Though nothing compares to the heart-breaking tragedy and immense suffering of the Ukrainian people presently taking place, the Putin regime’s ruthless behaviour is not new. It has time and again used brutal force and violated fundamental human rights, eliminating its opponents and illegally appropriating assets for the benefit of Putin and his cronies. The ruthless expropriation of Yukos was an early warning. We have seen that Houthoff and Albert Jan van den Berg publicly resigned as legal counsel for the Russian Federation in The Netherlands. This attempt to cleanse their reputations by simply resigning calls for a response. It was not the truth, the rule of law or the interest in justice that convinced these lawyers to drop the Kremlin as their biggest client; it was the pressure of public opinion. Moreover, the Russian Federation must not be allowed to use this move by its lawyers to delay the legal proceedings further. Any such attempt will be yet another example of the Russian Federation cynically trying to benefit from its own lawless and ruthless behaviour. We will continue to expose the Russian Federation’s procedural manipulations and the Kremlin’s habitual false narratives. It is of foremost importance – not just for our case against the Russian Federation – that the Russian Federation is held accountable under the rule of law. History shows that appeasing the Kremlin by letting it get away with its misdeeds, does not end well. We remain confident that the rule of law will prevail and justice will be served.”
Background
On 3 March, the Amsterdam-based law firm, Houthoff, announced that it was ceasing all work for the Russian Federation. On 2 March, Albert Jan van den Berg had announced that he was doing the same. Houthoff and van den Berg have represented the Russian Federation since 2014 as it disputes the arbitral awards of more than $50 billion that compensate the former Yukos shareholders for the unlawful expropriation of their investment.
