Former Justice Department Official Victoria Toensing Joins Crowell & Moring Team in Lawsuit Against Government of Kuwait

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Sep 05, 2018, 08:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that Victoria Toensing, an internationally known expert on white collar crime, terrorism, and national security and intelligence matters, has joined as counsel for Marsha Lazareva, a prominent member of the international business community unlawfully detained on false charges by the government of Kuwait.

Toensing is a founding partner of the Washington law firm diGenova & Toensing, LLP. She has extensive experience representing individuals, foreign countries, corporations, trade associations, and other organizations.

Crowell & Morning lawyers acting on behalf of Ms. Lazareva, who is CEO of a Kuwaiti private equity firm KGL Investment (KGLI), filed a notice of international arbitration with the State of Kuwait in mid-July for breaching a bilateral investment treaty in violation of international law.

The notice claims damage to her investment and reputation as a result of the State of Kuwait's arbitrary, harassing and illegal actions. The actions culminated in a "show trial" convicting and sentencing her to 10 years imprisonment without allowing her to present any defense witnesses. Attorneys for Ms. Lazareva say the campaign is all as part of a plan to expropriate $496 million that Ms. Lazareva generated through successful private equity investments.

"Victoria brings three decades of experience litigating complex international and cross border disputes to the team. Her knowledge of white collar crime and the banking industry will be a significant asset to Marsha as we continue to seek justice for her," said Crowell & Moring partner David Hammond, who is part of the legal team representing Ms. Lazareva.

KGLI is an investment company in Kuwait that Ms. Lazareva has run successfully for the past 13 years. However, in November 2017, she was arrested and detained on the orders of the Kuwaiti General Prosecutor's office.

The claim filed by Crowell & Moring seeks her immediate release, as well as no less than $100 million as compensation for damages and losses Ms. Lazareva has suffered.

Toensing represented high-profile government whistleblowers such as Gregory Hicks, former Deputy Chief of Mission in Libya during the Benghazi attacks in 2012, and "Jane Doe Thompson," the first female Chief of Station in Latin America, in a successful lawsuit against the CIA. "Thompson" reported her male deputy for wife-beating and disciplined other subordinates for misconduct ranging from public drunkenness to threatening to kill security guards. She became the subject of an inspector general's investigation based on these subordinates' false claims.

She currently represents Douglas Campbell, the FBI undercover informant for Uranium One.

In 1997, Toensing was named Special Counsel by the U.S. House of Representatives to probe the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. In 2007, Toensing was retained by the New York State Senate to investigate then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the Troopergate matter.

As Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Justice Department from 1984 to 1988, she established Justice's Terrorism Unit.

She managed the federal government's efforts to bring to justice the terrorists responsible for hijacking TWA 847, bombing Pan Am 830, and shipjacking the cruise ship Achille Lauro. For her aggressive pursuit of terrorist Mohammed Rashid, Toensing was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine (April 21, 1991).

Toensing is a frequent guest on national television discussing politics, criminal justice, national security, and terrorism, including C-Span, Fox News, 60 Minutes, Face the Nation, Good Morning America, 20/20, CNN, Lehrer News Hour, Today Show, NPR, and Nightline. She was legal analyst for America's Talking for the O.J. Simpson trial, and has co-hosted CNBC's Equal Time and Rivera Live! She was legal analyst for MSNBC for the impeachment and Senate trial of President Clinton.

Toensing received her B.S. from Indiana University and graduated cum laude from the University of Detroit Law School.

SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP