The new York law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom paid $ 11 million or more to avoid a lawsuit from former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who claimed that the company promoted its "political pursuit of", writes the newspaper the New York Times, citing sources.
Earlier it was reported that in 2011 the government of Ukraine has hired a company Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to assess the progress of the investigation on the case of Tymoshenko. The contract was signed with Paul Manafort – the former head of the election headquarters of Donald trump. Compiled the report became part of the PR campaign in the us media, although Skadden had not been registered as a foreign agent. Subsequently, Skadden was accused of representing the interests of Ukraine without registering as a foreign agent. In January 2019, the firm reached an agreement with the authorities, which agreed to pay more than $ 4.6 million.
In December 2018 Tymoshenko gave an interview to the New York Times, saying that she was "very painful" to learn about the work Skadden’s report. She accused the lawyers of law firms in the "whitewashing Yanukovych (Viktor Yanukovych, ex-President of Ukraine – ed.) and his government" for money.
Soon after Tymoshenko together with her lawyer, Serhiy Vlasenko, has hired the law firm Reid Collins & Tsai, to try to find out whether it is possible to apply for Skadden in court, the newspaper specifies. To resolve the issue before filing a suit, the firm Skadden, according to people familiar with the case, paid $ 11 million or more, the newspaper writes.
It is noted that the funds received by Tymoshenko and Vlasenko in the company Reid Collins & Tsai. The newspaper points out that in the declarations, filed by lawyer and ex-Prime Minister, States that each of them received approximately $ 5.5 million, but the records do not mention Skadden.
Earlier it was reported that in the Declaration of income Tymoshenko has a record that she received in the United States 148 million ($5.5 million) compensation for "political repression" 2011-2014. The source of funds specified legal company from Texas Reid Collins Tsai LLP.
In April 2011, the then Prosecutor General of Ukraine Renat Kuzmin has declared excitation of new criminal case on "abuse of power and official authority when signing gas agreements with Russia in 2009". A court in Kiev found Tymoshenko guilty in the case and was sentenced to seven years imprisonment, she was sent to the colony in Kharkiv. Tymoshenko was released after a coup in Ukraine in 2014.
