Former Freehills partner Robert Nicholls and former Westpac in-house counsel David Slater are embroiled in a legal controversy between two rival expatriate law firms operating in Kazakhstan. Yes, Kazakhstan; the sire of the celebrated journalist Borat who famously filmed Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

It has been reported that the legal stoush involves:

legal advisor to the rising stars

claims of client poaching and corrupt payments … Kazakh law firm Michael Wilson & Partners is suing its former employees Mr Nicholls and Mr Slater in the NSW Supreme Court, alleging they breached their fiduciary duty to the firm by luring clients away to their rival set-up with another expatriate Australian lawyer, John Emmott, nearly four years ago.

While we cant confirm whether Nicholls or Slater beautify themselves with fluorescent beach-wear, the parallels between them and the celebrated travails of Borat are remarkable. You’ll recall that in the film, Borat went on a long journey to a foreign land (the USA) to fulfil a life-long dream: to meet the bosomy nymph Pamela Anderson. Nicholls and Slater, meanwhile, have trekked to a foreign land (Kazakhstan) apparently also chasing a life-long dream: to enrich themselves with equity in Max Petroleum. This company is regarded as one of the rising stars taking advantage of Kazakhstan’s massive untapped oil reserves.

Is it right for presumably wealthy Australians to leech Kazakh resources for personal wealth, while many Kazakh people live in poverty? Should Kazakh journalists travel to the USA to film a documentary for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan?

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