The claimant, Mr Osipov, was employed by an Australian domiciled oil and gas exploration and production company, International Petroleum Ltd, from February 2011 until his summary dismissal in October 2014. The company had operational activities in the Republic of Niger. It ran into financial difficulties and reneged on fees in excess of $1m payable to the Government of Niger.

In June 2014 the claimant was appointed CEO of the company yet within days of his appointment he began to notice that certain individuals at senior management level were engaging in serious misconduct. They put undue pressure on him, inappropriately interfered with his duties and side-lined him from business negotiations. He was undermined, excluded from information relating to the situation