Hermitage's Russian Quandary

Case: Hermitage's Russian Quandary (A)

This is by far the most interesting case we have had in our course as it exposes the dangers of doing business in an environment with influential yet corrupt oligarchs backed by political institutions. Hermitage followed a simple strategy of telling the truth through media which will catch the world’s attention. They used the power point presentation to explain the complexity and extent of corruption. For media, they targeted foreign news organizations thus making it an international topic. The fact that Browder was literally not allowed set foot in the country is the testament of how well his strategies were working. By exposing the shady deals at other FSE’s, he compelled the government to implement the much needed reforms. It is also important to point out that Hermitage maintained their credibility by verifying the information obtained so that they don’t end up making any false accusations. Hermitage also enjoyed the support of President Putin as long as his interests dovetailed with those of Hermitage. However, as soon as Hermitage proved to be an imminent threat to all the politicians in the office, Browder’s Russia visa was suspended. This could not have been a coincidence.

Now that Browder is embroiled in a false case with no physical access to Russia, he should leverage his existing networks in media to expose the ugly face of politicians. He should use his lawyer to back up his story with strong evidences. This will force the courts in Russia to hear their side of story and hopefully the justice will be restored.