High-Stakes Real Estate Conflict Between Two Tycoons
Tomer Ganon | Calcalist | November 4, 2021
Magnate and investor Lev Leviev faced a €1.5 billion dispute with Israeli businessman David Nassi over a large Moscow real estate development spanning 130 dunams. Specialized dispute resolution intelligence helped throw the case out of court.
Background of the Dispute
The case attracted a great deal of interest, since Leviev, a self-made billionaire originally hailing from Russia, is a well-known entrepreneur and investor, whose business interests included founding international venture capital firm LVL1 Group, co-founding the social network VK.com, Btc.com, Africa Israel investments, and more.
Dionaea maintained a clear documentation trail, enabling legal teams to use the evidence effectively in subsequent proceedings.
Origins of the Legal Battle
The roots of the dispute go back to 2013, when Leviev announced his withdrawal from the project. Nassi claimed he fell victim to false representations and Leviev essentially dispossessed him of the project. Lacking evidence, Nassi signed a settlement agreement in 2014.
Turning Point: The 2018 Reopening
Fast forward to 2018, when Nassi claimed he had obtained “decisive and clear evidence that Leviev’s declarations about withdrawing from the project were false.” At this point, the client hired Dionaea, a boutique intelligence firm, to provide dispute resolution intelligence. Dionaea’s team came from elite intelligence units and had experience in civil, legal solutions. They built a direct business relationship with Nassi. This connection uncovered critical evidence for Leviev, including mishandling of sensitive information and alleged improper payments to Russian authorities.
Dionaea’s Role and Methodology
Through carefully planned operations and a creative cover story, Dionaea’s agent recorded conversations with Nassi revealing how Leviev’s personal and work emails were accessed, providing key evidence. They leveraged their elite intelligence experience through in-person meetings and thorough documentation of all interactions, including video and audio recordings. They also carefully preserved evidence chains. As Dionaea maintained a clear documentation trail, it allowed the evidence to be used effectively during the legal proceedings.
Instead of winning the €1.5 billion he claimed, the court ordered Nassi to pay €2 million in legal costs.
The Outcome: Court Ruling and Impact
The evidence played a key role in the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) proceedings. Instead of winning the €1.5 billion he claimed, the court ordered Nassi to pay 8 million NIS in legal costs. This decisive outcome secured a major victory for Leviev, ending the case in his favor and leaving his business and assets intact. The evidence allowed Leviev’s lawyers to approach the case from a new angle, making the opposing party’s claims inadmissible in court. Such strategy would not have been possible without this deep intelligence work.
Legal Validation of Intelligence Gathering
Following the LCIA ruling, a judge dismissed a separate Israeli lawsuit filed by Nassi that questioned Dionaea’s intelligence methods, confirming Dionaea acted legally and professionally. The lawsuit in Israel attracted some media attention, with coverage in Calcalist and other local outlets focusing on the Moscow real estate project dispute and Dionaea’s HUMINT operation.
This case validates Dionaea’s HUMINT tools and techniques for legally gathering sensitive information. It also shows how professional intelligence gathering can shape major legal disputes.
A Win Through Strategic Intelligence
The company maintained legal and ethical standards while providing specialized HUMINT services. Their methodical approach to collecting and documenting evidence led to a successful resolution of a high-stakes dispute involving a leading businessman in international arbitration.
