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Jamison Firestone: A New York Kid, a Russian Mafia, and a Front Row Seat to History & Author of Rules of Lies | Up+Adam

Published 11 hours ago
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What happens when a kid raised around con men, mobsters, loan sharks, and chaos decides to start over... and accidentally lands in the middle of one of the most consequential stories of the last 35 years?

On this True Crime Tuesday episode of Up+Adam, Adam sits down with Jamison Firestone, author of Rule of Lies: My Wild Ride Through Chaos, Corruption, and Murder in Putin's Russia. What begins as the story of a young American lawyer chasing opportunity in post-Soviet Russia quickly becomes something much bigger. Firestone shares how he built the first independent foreign-owned law firm in Russia, negotiated with mafia bosses, witnessed the rise of Vladimir Putin, and found himself at the center of some of Russia's most explosive corruption scandals.

Along the way, he reflects on the courage of Sergei Magnitsky, the dangers of a justice system turned into a weapon, the role humor played in surviving impossible circumstances, and what honesty looks like when everything is on the line. This conversation is part true crime, part history lesson, part political thriller, and entirely human.

In this episode:

• Growing up around criminals in New York

• Why he moved to Russia after law school

• Negotiating with Russian mafia groups

• The moment he realized Putin's Russia was changing

• The story of Sergei Magnitsky

• The difference between criminals and criminals with governments

• Why humor became a survival tool

Whether you're fascinated by true crime, geopolitics, history, human resilience, or stories that sound too wild to be true, this episode delivers.

Learn more about Jamison Firestone:

• Find Rule of Lies on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rule-Lies-Through-Corruption-Murder-ebook/dp/B0FS7TDR19

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