For many years, William Browder has been one of the most enthusiastic advocates of investment in Russia, bullish and confident even while others have recoiled in the face of increased state interference. Once a well known supporter of President Vladimir Putin, he was also known for his occasional (and naturally in my opinion, misunderstood) public attacks against my client Mikhail Khodorkovsky. But despite his goodwill, Browder now finds himself on the other side. After some quiet protestations about minority shareholder’s rights and published research about asset stripping and corruption in Russia’s state-held companies, Browder committed the unspeakable offense of criticizing opacity and poor management at Gazprom (even though in 2004 he described Gazprom’s locally traded stock as “the single greatest investment in Russia“), turning him into a most unlikely victim.