During Viktor Khristenko's recent visit to Washington, U.S. lawyers announced that the Russian minister had been sent documents regarding the lawsuit. The minister's receipt of the documents would oblige him by U.S. law to respond to the court within 20 days.
Oliver Thomas Johnson of law firm Covington & Burling previously said that minority shareholders had bought 115,000 Yukos shares at market price and had sustained losses of about $6 billion because of a conspiracy to effectively renationalize Yukos without providing compensation to its owners.
He said he was optimistic about winning the suit brought by 12 shareholders against the Russian Federation, state-owned energy companies, and top executives, although he added the trial could be a long one.
A member of the Russian delegation visiting Washington in October and accompanying the minister has insisted that the documents were not handed to Khristenko.
"Viktor Khristenko did not receive any documents from any lawyers representing anyone's interests," Stanislav Naumov said. "This is their problem, the court will sort it out."
However, Johnson said he personally witnessed the text of the lawsuit and the subpoena being handed to the minister.
On October 26, a District of Columbia court received information confirming that the documents had been handed to the minister, Johnson said.
