US сourt issues temporary restraining order on Kazakhstan's claim

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan represents and defends the interests of the Republic of Kazakhstan in international arbitrations and foreign litigations. As part of the execution of this function, the Ministry of Justice instructs international law firms to act on its behalf.

In January 2015, it came to the attention of the Ministry of Justice that there had been unauthorized accessing and use of confidential and privileged e-mail correspondence between the Ministry of Justice and the international law firms. This information was published on foreign websites, the press center of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan reports. Action has been taken in courts in the states of California (by law firm Reed Smith LLP) and New York (by law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP) in respect of the unauthorised access and use of emails, including e-mail correspondence between international law firms and a number of government officials of Kazakhstan, which is protected by the applicable law of attorney-client privilege. Those proceedings are ongoing. On March 13, 2015 the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a Temporary Restraining Order that prohibits persons who unlawfully obtained and published attorney-client privileged emails and other documents belonging to the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as anyone acting in concert or participation with them, from further using, posting or otherwise disseminating any of those documents. The Order was issued pursuant to the federal laws of the U.S.